Three Days of Project Omaha
by AKAdenny
Summary: Sometimes...no matter how far-fetched it seems. Some people are distined for greatness.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**: An AU about Sarah Walker and Chuck Bartowski…and the rest of the gang.

**Three Days of Project Omaha **

Sarah Walker closed the door to her office, walked to the elevator and pressed the button for the main lobby. Upon exiting the elevator, she was aware that most every eye was upon her as she walked to the front of the building. Her four inch heels clacking against the floor of the government building like a metronome, keeping time with the bounce of the hem of her dress. Most eyes hoping the altitude of the bounce would reach just a little higher. She gracefully moved through the crowd of people, her Versace custom-made garment showing off every curve and sway of her body and held the eye like a magnet. She didn't really notice, she was used to it.

Without slowing down at security, she showed her ID as she moved through the checkpoint unperturbed.

Exiting the building, her elegant, high stepping gait took her to her little black Porsche and in no time she was seated behind the wheel, her long legs visible as the bottom of her dress pulled up high on her thigh.

Sarah looked at the front of the CIA building over the top of her steering wheel and laughed at her silly imaginings. Instead of a black Porsche, she sat in a blue Ford Focus. Instead of four inch high heels, she wore cheap pumps. Instead of everyone watching her as she emerged from the elevator, not one person looked her way. Instead of the gorgeous blonde with long flowing hair and a knockout wardrobe and the walk of a runway model, she hadn't really changed her look since high school. She moved with a hesitant, shuffling pace as she clutched a book to her chest hoping that no one really paid attention to her. Still, after ten years, she found it difficult to believe she worked for the CIA, even if it was in the library. She looked down at her legs to see her ankle length dress fell far below her knees.

She drove back into the city to her little apartment on the north side. Today was Thursday so she stopped for Chinese takeout for two. Thursday was Chinese, Friday was Mexican on the even days, Thai on the odd. Monday was chicken pot pie, Tuesday was either lasagna or pizza and Wednesday was pot luck. She had it down to a science. Her meals, like everything else in her life were planned and repetitive. That's the way she liked it…predictable. At least, that's what she told herself most nights.

She walked into her apartment. "Steve, I'm home," she yelled as she closed the door behind her. Her apartment was small but tastefully decorated…if you were a senior citizen.

She unloaded her book on the desk at the far end of the main room and walked into the kitchen. She sat the food down on the countertop and kicked off her shoes. Reaching behind her back to unclasp her dress, she walked into the bedroom.

"Steve, where are you?" she said as she slipped off the dress and hung it carefully in her bedroom closet.

Wearing only her slip, she fell back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. She intended to put on her pajamas and prepare for a romantic evening.

"Steve," she called out once more.

Immediately, she was joined on the bed by Steve…a beautiful, white Bengal Cat that climbed onto her stomach and greeted her affectionately.

As she stroked the cat's back, the telephone rang and she lifted Steve off of her stomach and rose to answer it.

"Hey Carina, you coming over tonight?" Sarah said.

"Yep and I've got the movie."

Sarah involuntarily drew in her breath. "What did you get?" she asked, expectantly.

"The Proposal," Carina said and squealed with delight.

"I loved that movie. We saw it last summer, right?"

"That's right, on opening night."

"Hurry up and get over here, I can hardly wait to get started."

"Okay, bye."

"Bye."

Sarah rose from the bed and stepped out of her slip. Now wearing only a brown bra and black panties, she searched for her favorite pair of pajamas. This was going to be a special night and deserved her bunny PJ's.

Finding them, she slipped into the bottoms one leg at a time and then put on the matching top. After buttoning her top, she hurried into the kitchen to warm up the food in the microwave. Carina would be there in about five minutes. She only lived ten blocks away. The two women were looking for a suitable apartment to share, but since they both had cats, that limited their options.

Just about the time Sarah pulled the food from the microwave, Carina opened the door and walked in wearing her pajamas underneath her overcoat.

She removed the coat and sat the blue ray on the TV and then joined Sarah in the kitchen.

"Hey, Sar."

"Hey, Rina," Sarah responded. "I've got your food there. I just need a little extra sweet and sour sauce and we can get started."

Carina picked up her food and went into the main room to get everything ready. Once she had the movie ready to go, she paused it and waited on Sarah to join her.

"How was your day?" Sarah asked as she sat down on her side of the couch. She pulled her feet up with her knees drawn up to her chest.

"Pretty dull. I only work for the city's library system. I can't compete with the excitement of working for the CIA," Carina said, digging at her with an old and worn smooth ploy.

Sarah played along like always because, deep down, she loved it. "I work in the basement. No one even knows my name. My supervisor calls me Janet at least three times a week. And…," she said, raising her voice at the crucial juncture in the ritual. "We don't even have any books."

The girls laughed at their own joke even though it was years old. Neither one could remember who said it first or why.

Carina looked at her friend seriously. "Still, you know its exciting working for the CIA, you can't argue that."

"Yes I can…but not right now. I've got something else to talk about."

"What?" Carina said. Any new topic was exciting.

"I turned in that suggestion I told you about." Sarah said with an open expression.

Carina's eyes got large and her eyebrows raised in shock. "You did… when?"

"Today. I can't go into specifics but I told them that I thought it was at least plausible that this very important software program could be stolen and even transferred via email. From the books I've read, I said that I thought it might be possible that if someone with just the right brain function was to see that file… that it could actually be downloaded into their brain."

"Wow, you said all of that?"

"Yup," Sarah said, obviously please with herself.

"Do you think anyone will pay attention?"

"Naw, at least not anyone important. Some analyst will probably get assigned to verify my opinions and they'll put some checks and balances in place. I'll never hear another word about it."

Still, it's cool. You've had an impact on national security," Carina said, awestruck.

Sarah smiled. "Are you ready to watch the movie?"

"Uh, not yet. Can we talk about something else first?"

"Sure, what?"

Carina hesitated trying to find the courage to begin. "I promised myself that I would say this before we watch the movie."

"What is it," Sarah had become concerned.

"Remember that date I had a couple of months ago?

"Yeah," Sarah said, her brow indicating she did not expect this topic.

Carina looked sheepish. "I sort of lied when I said I had a good time."

Sarah pulled closer to her friend sensing her vulnerability. "What happened?"

"It was exactly like every other date I've been on…awkward. And then he took me home and I was worried whether he was going to kiss me or not but instead of kissing me, he turned off the car and turned to face me."

"He didn't do anything did he?" Sarah spoke in a whisper but her heart was beating like a diesel engine at high idle.

"No, nothing like that. I only wish that's what happened."

Sarah's nose wrinkled and her brow drew down. "What did he do?"

"He talked to me…honestly."

"He talked to you…what did he say?"

"He called me beautiful."

Sarah's frown turned into a smile. "That's wonderful, Rina, why hasn't he called you back?"

Carina started to cry. "Because he didn't say I _was_ beautiful…he said I could be beautiful with a little effort."

Sarah moved closer and wrapped her warms around her friend. "That's a horrible thing to say."

Carina pushed away. "The thing is, Sar, I think it might have been the kindest thing anyone's every said to me."

"What?" Sarah said, not understanding.

Carina stood and grabbed Sarah's hand and pulled her off the couch. She pulled her to the large mirror in Sarah's bedroom. The two women stood looking at each other in the mirror.

"Well?" Carina said, after she had stood looking at first herself, then Sarah.

"Well what?"

Carina's voice showed her exasperation. "Look at us, Sar. Can you honestly say either one of us is pretty? Especially when you compare us to the women you work with at the CIA."

"That's not fair. If you're talking about the agents, they've got the US Government helping them to look like they do."

Carina ignored her. "Sarah, look at us. I mean honestly look at us…what do you see?"

If Sarah was honest, what she would have told Carina was that she saw a red-head with short stringy hair and eyes the size of marbles. Her eyebrows and eyelashes were practically nonexistent. Her posture was horrible and the expression on her face screamed _desperate_ with a large portion of low self-esteem thrown in for good measure.

Then, she looked at herself. Her dishwater blonde hair was frizzy after years of neglect and was almost shoulder length. It hung shapeless on both sides of her face with no style most likely due to the fact that Sarah cut it herself. Her blue eyes were lost on her face and she wore no makeup causing even her perfect nose to go unnoticed.

"We look fine," Sarah said out loud.

Carina stomped her foot in frustration. Sarah, what if Ana Wu was standing between us. Would you say we looked fine then?"

"That's not fair, Carina. Ana Wu is one of the most beautiful women on the planet. Plus, with the CIA behind her with wardrobe and such, we can't compete with that."

Sarah watched Carina's expression turn to something she had never seen before. Carina made an effort to stand taller before speaking. She then looked at Sarah through the mirror. "What if I told you I thought I could compete with her? What would you say then?"

Sarah scoffed. "Look at us. You've seen Ana."

Carina turned from the mirror to look directly at Sarah. "I'm going to a beauty salon."

Sarah pursed her lips. "Fine."

"You're mad," Carina said.

"No, I'm disappointed. You're giving in and are going to join all those girls that made fun of us in high school."

"Sarah, that was a long time ago. I'm tired of feeling like I feel. And…I'm tired of being lonely."

"Carina, we have each other."

Carina smiled at her. "Don't take this the wrong way but you can't really scratch this particular itch."

"Oh," Sarah said understanding her point.

"Can you honestly say you haven't thought about having that itch scratched from time to time with one of those dreamy guys you work with?"

"Carina!" Sarah said, embarrassed. They had never talked about itching before.

"Come on, Sarah. Surely, you've thought about it."

"Yeah, I've thought about it. But I'm not willing to settle."

"Settle! I've got news for you. You have to have an opportunity first in order to to settle."

Sarah wanted to argue but realized that Carina was right. She hadn't been on a date in over two years. She wasn't ready to give in but she didn't want to fight with Carina either.

"Hey, let's watch the movie?" Sarah said, smiling through misty eyes.

Carina responded with a tearful nod and the two young women walked back to the TV, hand in hand. They couldn't afford to be mad at each other.

They were all they had.

They resumed their original positions on the couch and started the movie. They watched the movie in silence with just a couple of comments throughout.

When the movie was over, both women had tears in their eyes.

"Now that's the kind of guy I'm after," Sarah said, wiping away the tears on her face.

"You say that after every movie."

"No, I'm serious. He's tall, he's confident. He knows what he wants in life and he's willing to work hard for it…even after Margret told him no, he kept going. I find that so romantic."

Carina got up smiling at her friend. Her expression turned serious as she went to retrieve the disk. She put it in its container and then turned to Sarah.

"I'm serious about the beauty salon." Her expression turned hopeful. "Go with me?"

Sarah thought about the movie and wondered if she looked as good as Sandra Bullock, would that be what it took to find someone. _Not that I can look as good as Sandra Bullock_, she thought.

Carina was surprised to see that Sarah was actually considering it. "Come on, Sarah. What do we have to lose?"

"When?"

"Next week. I'll make the appointment for two."

Sarah stood and smiled at Carina. "I'll think about it."

"See you on Saturday?" Carina asked.

"Yeah, unless I get picked to go to that leadership seminar tomorrow."

"Very funny. Didn't you say that that seminar was for the up and coming stars in the CIA?"

Sarah smiled. "I'll see you Saturday."

X=X

Later that night, Sarah tried to sleep but was troubled. She sensed that her life was at a crossroads. She knew that Carina had been giving off signals of being discontent for a while now, but didn't realize just how resolute she was at changing her situation.

It caused her more than just a little anxiety. Without Carina she was alone.

Over the days to follow, Sarah would think back to this time of peace and innocence and draw strength from it. Had she known what the next three days had in store for her, she probably would not have gotten out of bed Friday morning.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Moving the stroy along. I hope you enjoy. Thanks for the folks that reviewed. I do appreciate hearing your thoughts.

Three Days of Project Omaha

Chapter 2

Sarah awoke early Monday morning like always. She stumbled into the kitchen to get a cup of coffee so she could begin the slow process of waking up. After downing two cups, she went to stand under the shower until she felt a semblance of clarity in her thinking, before she actually started to wash herself and her hair.

After getting out of the shower, she stumbled into her bedroom and put on her undergarments without really looking at them. Sarah had bought many of her bras and panties in matched sets but only wore them as a set if she happened to pull them out of her drawer that way by accident.

Today's combination was a red bra and black panties. Sarah always wore a full slip with her dresses hiding the fact that her bras sometimes didn't match her outfit. Today's dress was an orange, blue and purple floral pattern on an off-white background. It was mid-calf in length qualifying as one of her shorter outfits. It was also hideous.

She went to her closet to select her shoes. She had seven pair, all pumps. She did not own a pair of high heels.

By the time she left her apartment, she was fully awake and looking forward to the day. In all honesty, Sarah enjoyed the workweek much more than she did the weekends because she loved to watch the agents when they rolled into Langley in-between missions. She loved to think about what daring adventures they had while out in the field. Actually, now that she was at a level six, she was qualified to read the redacted mission reports, which she did on a regular basis.

She loved to observe them as they walked around the building as if they owned it. The confidence they showed was to her and her daydreams, like a fix to a junkie.

Her two favorite agents were Ana Wu and Morgan Grimes. It was rumored that they were even lovers. That made Sarah swoon as she thought about all the places they had been together, the Mediterranean, Australia, the Crimean, Singapore and even Prague. These were the places she knew about; she loved to think of other exotic locals that she didn't know about.

As it happened, she had learned only two days ago that both Morgan and Ana were at Langley. They were going to speak at the Leadership Conference later this week.

Like she had from the first day of her employment, and every quarter after that, Sarah had signed up to be selected for the leadership conference. She didn't know why she always did it. She thought it would be cool to observe the new crop of agents as they did whatever it is they do at this conference. She had over ten years of being overlooked, so that now, she did it more out of habit than any real sense that she would actually be chosen.

She made the drive out to Langley in just under thirty minutes because most cars were coming into the city, even at that, the traffic was still heavy, it just wasn't stop and go.

She walked into CIA headquarters, went through security without delay and made her way down to the bottom floor where her small office was located.

Sarah checked her email first thing like always but like always there was nothing other than the bulk notices sent out to everyone. She spent the next thirty minutes planning her day because she had a staff meeting in less than thirty minutes. She had no time to begin a search request; she planned to do that after her meeting.

At 9:30a.m., she moved to the small conference room that sat in-between the other three librarians' offices. It was Friday and so that meant a review of request that was still outstanding.

"People, people, people, listen up. Let's get started. We've got a lot to go over. Sally, you've got two requests outstanding, one for Agent Coldwell and one for Agent Silver." Her boss Sullivan never talked with them except for this meeting. She didn't know where he hid the rest of the week.

Sarah knew that her boss was talking to her because, he rarely got her name right, but he almost always got the first letter right. So he called her Sally today, Monday it was likely to be Sandy and on rare occasions, he even called her Sarah from time to time.

Sarah smiled at her co-workers and answered as though her name really was Sally. "I'll have them complete before noon today."

He went over the agenda with the rest of the team and just as everyone was leaving the conference room, he yelled out.

"Sally, they want you up in conference room 1-C at 10:00a.m."

Sarah looked at her watch and saw that it was 10:00a.m. on the money.

"Do you know why?" she asked worried that she was going to be late.

"I'm sure they just want you to go over the protocol for data requests from the library department to the leadership conference attendees."

"Leadership conference," she repeated as she started to hurry out the door.

"Don't worry, I doubt that it will cost you a spot in the conference if your late," her boss said, sarcastically.

Sarah ignored him. She didn't care about losing a spot on the conference, she just didn't want to be the last to walk into the room and have everyone looking at her.

She hurried to the elevator and took the slowest ride up to the first floor that she could remember. When the door opened, she dashed out almost knocking over another woman trying to enter the lift.

"Sorry, sorry," she yelled over her shoulder as she continued her dash down the hallway, her dress flying up to her knees as she ran. She finally made it to conference room 1- C and stopping for just a second to catch her breath prior to opening the door, she walked in.

She closed the door behind her as quietly as she could and turned around to see everyone looking at her. There was one person standing at the conference room table while everyone else was seated.

"Can I help you?" a smartly dressed man asked at the head of the table which accommodated thirty of the most attractive and beautifully dressed men and women Sarah had ever seen.

She stood out like prune in a bowl of strawberries.

"Uh…I'm Sarah Walker. Uh, I, Uh…I was asked to come to 1-C at 10:00a.m."

The man looked down at a list he had in front of him and then drew an expression of surprise on his face.

"Come in, Ms. Walker. Have a seat. We're going around the room telling everyone what we do, how long we've been with the agency and why we are interested in the leadership conference."

Sarah walked into the room, stunned and confused. But she sat down like instructed.

"Like I was saying, my name is Agent Marcus Stone. I've been with the agency for 8 months. I want to specialize in deep cover missions when I roll out. And it's an honor to be chosen for the leadership conference this quarter. I am interested in improving my charm without seeming plastic. " He sat down when he finished talking.

"Is that everyone?" The guy at the head of the table asked.

Eventually every eye came to rest on Sarah. It was evident by their expressions that they were skeptical of her membership into the best of the best of young agents and analysts the CIA had to offer.

"Uh," the leader looked at his list. "Ms. Walker, would you care to tell us what you do and how long you've worked for the agency?"

Sarah became more puzzled. "Uh…Sir, I'm not sure why I was sent here. What is it you want me to do?"

There was a general snicker at Sarah's complete lack of confidence. The room was full of alpha males and females. Sarah's behavior must have seemed like a wounded wolf to the pack.

"Ms. Walker, let me just verify that we haven't made a mistake here," the leader said as he picked up his cell phone. "This is Special Agent Jonathan Ewing. I want to verify one of our leadership conference attendees." He waited evidently for someone to pull up the list on computer. "Her name is Sarah Walker…right…that's right. I see. Well…thank you." He turned back to Sarah. "It would appear that you have been chosen for this quarter's leadership conference. Like I've told the rest of your peers, we leave from Reagan tomorrow for LA. 10:00a.m. departure, I'll email you the rest of the Intel after this meeting."

Sarah felt like she had just swallowed her tongue. The harder she tried to speak, the thicker it became. Finally, she was able to make herself understood. "Are you sure there's no mistake?" She was actually terrified at the moment.

"No mistake, Ms. Walker. I just confirmed you were selected. Now, how about telling us where you work and how long you've been with the company."

Sarah tried to speak from a seated position. "I'm-"

"Please stand, Ms. Walker," the agent said.

Sarah slowly stood from her chair. She looked around the room and saw every eye upon her. Most of them were amused at her fragility.

"Uh…my name is Sarah Walker." She cleared her thought. "I work in the library." At that there was numerous comments heard around the room. Although the leadership conference was open to all employees, only agents and analysts had ever been chosen in the past.

"I've been with the company for ten years." She sat down quickly, unable to look into anyone's eyes.

"And what do you hope to gain from this conference?"

Sarah could answer that question honestly. "At the moment, Sir. I don't have a clue."

There was a general murmur laced with snickering heard around the room.

"Okay, people, you have the rest of the day off to get ready. Remember, don't be late. The jet takes off at 10:15 sharp." Sarah hadn't even gotten seated before Agent Ewing started to dismiss the class.

Sarah waited for everyone to leave. She had to suffer through more than one amused expression on the faces of the agents as they filed out of the conference room. She did what she always did in these cases. She just retreated into that little space in her mind were she was alone and the bully's of the world could not hurt her. When she realized she was alone with Ewing, she went to speak with him.

"Special Agent Ewing, Sir. I think there's been a mistake. I don't really think I'm the type of employee the CIA wants to send to this conference. I mean…I'm a librarian and these people here." She motioned with her head indicating the people that had just filed out of the room. "They are so…so much more capable than I am. I just think it would be a mistake to include me on this trip."

Ewing looked at her hard. "I tend to agree Ms. Walker but evidently someone much higher up the food chain than I am disagrees. You're on the list and you're coming…understood?"

In ten years of working with the CIA, Sarah had never had a special agent speak to her as harshly as Jonathan Ewing just did. As hard as she tried, she could not keep the tears from swelling into her eyes.

When Ewing noticed it, his body language showed his disdain. "For crying out loud, Walker, man up. You work for the CIA for God's sake. You need to represent your government a little better than that."

Sarah tried her best to comply but it was a feeble attempt. Ewing must have saw that she just didn't have the backbone for it and softened just a little. "Hey, you need to get out of here. I will send a list of items you need to take with you on the trip to your IPhone. The company will reimburse you so save your receipts."

"Yes sir." Sarah could not get to the door quick enough. She hurried back to the elevator, then to the basement and finally to her office. She shot her supervisor an email telling him that she was leaving for the day and would be out all next week and why.

As she left the building, she was too frightened to think clear enough to phone her best friend and tell her that she was going to spend the next week in LA. The thought was too overwhelming to even entertain. She would be alone with all of those agents. _Why did I ever put my name in that pool,_ she thought?

All the rest of that morning and the afternoon, Sarah purchased the items that were on the list that Agent Ewing had sent her. She packed her bags mainly with items that she had just purchased. The most disturbing to her was the skimpiest of bikinis. She would have opted for something much different but the list was specific.

When Sarah made it back to her apartment it was after 7:00p.m. She had talked to Carina for a very short time earlier but she told her that she would call her later that night. She needed to talk to her. She needed to hear her tell her that this would work out. Because right now, Sarah could only imagine the worst. But the worst part of it was that she couldn't tell Carina just how scared she was. All she had ever done since she met her was talk about going on the leadership conference. How could she tell her that she wanted to back out now? It was with these mixed emotions that she called Carina around 8:00p.m. that night.

"Carina, it's me."

"Hey, Sarah. Are you packed and ready to go?"

"Yeah, I even bought a couple of new dresses. I don't know if I have the guts to wear them in front of people."

"What did you buy?" Carina said, her voice held so much excitement she could not contain it within her normal inflection.

"I bought a black dress and a red one. The sales lady said they looked great on me. I just don't know if I can wear them."

"Why not, what's wrong with them?"

"Nothing's wrong with them. They're just so…I don't know. They're short and low-cut."

"Really! How short?"

"They're above my knee."

"If I know you, they're just barely above your knee."

"One is and the black one is way above my knee. I wasn't going to take it but the sales lady said I had great legs. Do you believe that? I don't think anyone's ever said I had great legs before."

"I have," Carina said sounding hurt.

"Not counting you. Of course you're gonna say that. You're my friend."

"Friend or not, Sarah. You do have a nice pair of legs."

"Thanks, Carina. I still don't think I can wear the black dress."

"Take it anyway. You never know what might happen."

"I will. I even bought a white bikini," Sarah said, excitedly.

Carina could not believe her ears. "You bought a bikini?"

"Yeah, the thing is there is this list of items I'm supposed to bring and a bikini was on the list."

"What else is on the list?" Carina asked her voice seemed awestruck.

"Besides the dress, I had to get high heel shoes that went with the dresses. I didn't have a clue but the sales lady said that the pair I bought matched very well."

"Anything else?"

"I also bought a bra and panties set. One for each day that I'm going to be gone."

"Was that on the list?"

"Yeah."

"What kind of seminar is this? It sounds like it could turn pretty wild. Are you sure you're up for this?" Carina knew her friend pretty well.

"I'm nervous about it but I'm also looking forward to it." Sarah said, lying.

"Call me after you've had your first meeting, okay?"

"I will."

"You should get to bed early. You've got a big day tomorrow."

"Carina."

"Yes."

"I love you."

"I love you too, Sar. Remember, you've wanted this for as long as I've known you. Enjoy it, okay?"

"I will…goodbye."

"Goodbye."

Sarah paced around her apartment like some caged animal. She was afraid that the leadership conference was going to turn out to be one great opportunity for everyone to make fun of her.

She finally went to bed more out of habit than feeling like she could go to sleep but by some miracle, she was able to sleep finally and to her own surprise, she slept soundly through the night.

She got up early and drove to airport with plenty of time to spare. She went to the CIA hanger and boarded the Bowing 757. She didn't really talk to anyone besides saying hello. Sarah hoped that before the week was over, she would have made a friend from someone in the group.

She would.

X=X

The flight to LA was uneventful. Sarah sat by herself and didn't have to talk with anyone which suited her just fine.

Just when she started to breathe a little easier, Agent Ewing stood in the middle of the group. "For tonight's dinner, we're going semi formal. Women wear heels and their sexiest dress, men wear a suit and tie. There will be additional instruction waiting in your room. Any questions?"

Sarah felt like she was in a nightmare. Only with this one, there was no chance of her waking up to escape what was going to happen to her. She couldn't believe she was in this horrible situation.

The rest of the trip was spent in absolute dread of tonight's meal. As bad as the flight was for her now, she didn't want it to end. Only worse things were in store for her. She knew it as well as she knew her own thoughts.

They landed and the group went to the Four Seasons Hotel on Wilshire and checked in. Sarah was last so she got a room on the first floor. She rode the elevator with another female agent with blonde hair. She couldn't help looking at her hair. It was long and full and it shined like a soldiers shoes. Sarah stared at her hair trying to understand what the difference was between this agent's and her own.

The agent looked at her suddenly catching her analysis. She smiled quickly and then returned to her own business.

Sarah followed her down the hall to their respective rooms. She didn't know her name. But their rooms were opposite of each other.

Sarah went into room 124 and the other agent went into 125. Sarah no more than got her sweater hung up when a knock on the door was heard. She walked to the door and opened it.

"Hi, its Sarah isn't it?" The blonde agent asked.

"Yes," Sarah said thrilled she was actually being talked to.

"Would you mind if we switched rooms? I prefer a West facing window and mine's facing the East." The young woman actually smiled at her. "I would have normally taken care of it at the front desk but there was just too much going on."

"Of course, I don't mind," Sarah said, excited to be talking with a real agent.

"Great, I started to unpack but it will only take me a second to get my things together. Come over in three minutes and I'll let you in."

"Okay, I'll see you in three minutes then," Sarah said smiling wildly and closed the door.

Sarah hurriedly gathered her things. It didn't take her long because she had not begun to unpack. She waited momentarily giving the woman time to gather her belongings and left her room to knock on room 125.

The pretty blonde opened the door and moved out of the way allowing Sarah to enter.

"Thank you for doing this. I'm Amanda Irving. If you need anything while you're here let me know. I'll try to help you if I can," she said as she pulled her luggage through the door.

"Oh here," Sarah said handing Amanda her room key.

"Thanks, I'll see you at the dinner," Amanda said. She saw how terribly Sarah's face fell at just the mention of their activity for tonight. "Listen, don't worry about tonight. Everyone knows you're not a spy. Don't expect yourself to keep up with us. Nobody else does. Just have fun."

Amanda did not mean to be hurtful but somehow it struck Sarah's heart.

_Nobody else does._ The words reverberated in her ears. Sarah could hear those words long after Amanda had closed the door.

Sarah went about unpacking. She took special care with her new clothing, especially her new dresses. Even though she didn't know if she would ever have the courage to actually go out in public wearing either one of them, she was very proud of them. They were the only dresses she had ever bought that were like the clothing she saw the female agents wear.

With her sense of foreboding ever increasing, she prepared to take a shower. She removed her clothing and turned on the water, waiting with her hand under the stream while she adjusted the temperature. Just as she began to step into it, she saw the hair brush lying on the counter. Amanda must have forgotten it.

She thought about taking it to her after she had her shower but thought that Amanda may need it now. Sarah put on her robe and went to deliver the brush. She opened her door and looked both ways down the hall. She was a little self conscious about being outside her room with just her robe on and nothing underneath.

Satisfied that she was alone, she walked the three steps to Amanda's door. Just before knocking, she saw that it wasn't latched. She knocked and then opened it. "Amanda, its Sarah. You forgot your hair brush," she said as she slowly opened the door. When she had the door open enough to stick her head in, she almost slammed the door shut and ran back to her room.

The room had been destroyed. How this could have happened without her hearing it she didn't know. There were three lamps lying on the floor. There were Amanda's clothes strewn about as well. When Sarah stepped inside further so she could see over the top of the sofa, she saw Amanda lying on the floor in a pool of blood.

Sarah wanted to run. Or she wanted to collapse crying, but she didn't. She forced her legs to take her over to where Amanda lay.

She bent down and touched Amanda's shoulder and was relieved to feel that she was still warm.

Amanda opened her eyes and looked at Sarah in such a fashion that she knew she would never forget.

"Sarah, you have to get out of here," she said, her voice raspy. It was clear she had blood in her throat.

"No, I have to get you to the hospital," Sarah said as she went to get the phone.

"Listen to me," Amanda said. "They were looking for you. They think they've killed you, when they find out they made a mistake, they will be back."

Sarah understood the words Amanda spoke but somehow they just didn't make sense.

"What do you mean they were looking for me?"

"Shut up and listen, I'm dying and I don't have much time." Amanda took a difficult breath. "We switched rooms. They were looking for you. I don't know if they were Fulcrum agents or what but I know they were well trained assassins. They will figure out that they screwed up and they will come looking for you…you have to run."

Sarah had stood while Amanda was speaking. She backed away all the while shaking her head. This did not make sense. _Why would anyone want to kill me_? She thought.

"Amanda, let me call the hospital," Sarah said again.

Amanda smiled at that. "I forget you're just a librarian. If you were an agent you would know that my wound is fatal. He stabbed me in the liver. Just stay here with me. I don't want to die alone. I promise you it won't be long."

"What can I do?" Sarah said meaning how could she help her.

Amanda either didn't understand or ignored her. "You can't trust anyone. Someone within the group is dirty. Maybe more than one. You have to get out of here and you have to change the way you look. You're going to be running from the most powerful espionage organization that has ever been. Do you understand?"

Sarah tried to at least look brave but then she saw Amanda start to fail. She bent down and grabbed Amanda's hand. "Is there anyone I could give a message to?"

Amanda smiled again but with greater difficulty now. "No, this is a lonely life. My parents are dead. I don't have brothers or sisters and I've not had a boyfriend in a long time."

For the first time since she had been with the CIA, Sarah saw that there may be a side of being an agent that she hadn't considered. It hit Sarah hard as she watched Amanda Irving die thankful that she had at least a stranger to keep her company.

Sarah got up to leave. Amanda had told her to pack what little was absolutely necessary and leave. She was told not to use credit cards or her cell phone. She told her that if she had family to notify them to do the same.

Sarah was much like Amanda in that regard. Her Mother had died a few years back and she had no idea where her father might be. But then she had a frightening thought. She did have a friend that was like a sister to her.

_Carina_, she thought. _I have to find a way to warn her_.

She opened the door and peered out into the hallway. Not seeing anyone she stepped out. But just as soon as she had closed the door to Amanda's room, like she had been told to do, two men came into view emerging from a utility closet.

It was evident to her that they were the killers just by the look on their faces. She also thought that they realized their mistake the minute they saw her. With nothing else to do, she took off running for the exit on the far end of the hallway.

As a kid, Sarah had always been athletic. She had been able to keep up with the boys even into her late teens in pure athletic events like running and climbing. She was proud of the fact that she could beat most of them. Little did she know, it was one reason she didn't get any dates. No guy wants to date a girl who could kick his ass. Or at the very least, give him a real run for his money.

Sarah's natural athleticism served her well as she sprinted for the exit getting there in an instant. She burst through it and her quick mind told her that she had to find a place to hide fast or die. The minute the door was open, she began to search for a place.

She saw a tall man about her age with slightly curly brown hair getting into his Lexus. She sprinted towards him, knowing she had to be safely inside his car and out of view before the killers reached the door.

She reached the passenger side door before he got seated. She flung it open as fast as she could, jumped inside, closing the door in a single motion and then slumped down into the floorboard.

"What the fu-" the man said but Sarah cut him off.

"I work for the CIA. There will be men coming into view out the door I just came from. They're trying to kill me. Just drive away and I'll never bother you again."

The man started the car and without looking at her or the men now running through the hotel doorway, drove off.

About three blocks away Sarah sat up in the passenger seat. She looked at the driver for the first time and noticed just how handsome he was.

"Uh, thanks for that," she said.

"You're welcome. Now what?'

"What do you mean, now what?"

"Can I take you someplace in particular?"

Sarah realized that she was totally on her own. She didn't know this man but he was the only resource she had.

She tried to smile pleasantly and reached out her hand. "I'm Sarah Walker. I could really use a place to stay for a couple of days."

He grabbed her hand. Pleased to meet you. "I'm Chuck Bartowski. You can stay at my place until you figure out what you need to do or who you need to call."

It was the look on his face just before he looked back to the road that caught her attention. Before she even looked down at her robe, she knew what she was going to find.

Sure enough, her robed had gapped open showing Sarah's leg past her hip. She was mortified. She was beyond mortified. But out of nowhere the thought entered her mind that whoever this guy was, he thought she worked for the CIA. Sarah had daydreamed about being a spy ever since joining the CIA. Now she was going to pretend to be a spy.

And so even though her first instinct was to hurriedly cover herself up, she nonchalantly moved the robe so that it covered her.

Doing her best to act confident, she turned to the driver and smiled. "Do you think you could buy me a dress? I can't use my credit cards and this robe is all I have."

"I've got a better idea. My sister is out of town. You look like her size, we'll just borrow a few things tonight and we'll get you something tomorrow."

Sarah just smiled her acceptance. On the way to the sister's house, she could help but think just how different her life had turned. She snuck a quick look at Chuck.

_That's the kind of guy I'm looking for_, she thought and smiled to herself for the rest of the drive.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I really should have waited another day to tweak this a little more before posting. But it was either tonight or wait until Monday. So you get the B version now instead of the A version later.

Three Days of Project Omaha

Chapter Three

"This is your sister's house?" Sarah said, her eyes wide as she walked inside. "What is she, a doctor?"

"Ellie, a doctor. That's a laugh. Ellie's not ever had a job," Chuck said as he followed Sarah inside.

"How does she afford a house like this? Is she independently wealthy?"

. "No, this house, like everything else Ellie has, was a present from dear old Dad. He's the wealthy one."

"I see…where is this…Malibu?"

"That's right," Chuck said as if living in Malibu was nothing special. "Follow me, you have a great view of the Pacific right out the back door."

Sarah stood looking where Chuck had indicated. "It's beautiful," she said.

"Yes, it is," he repeated.

Sarah was still in her robe and she had it wrapped tightly around her body showing off ever curve she had and she had plenty.

Sarah turned to look at him and saw he was looking at her. She wasn't sure but she thought he had been talking about her. But that little bit of doubt kept a huge smile from her face. Still, she became self conscious of her attire.

"You said something about your sister's clothes. Can I take a look?"

"Sure, follow me. I'll take you to her bedroom. Pick anything you like. She won't even know it's gone."

Chuck led Sarah to his sister's bedroom. There's a walk-in closet there and over here," he walked to another large closet. "Are her favorite clothes…take your pick. Like I said, she'll never miss it." Chuck turned to leave.

Sarah turned to him before he left the room. "Chuck, would it be okay if I took a shower before leaving?"

"Sure," he said. "But aren't you afraid you'll miss your friends telephone call?"

"Just take a message, if I'm in the shower. I'll call her back as soon as I'm out."

"Okey dokey," he said and left Sarah to her privacy.

After five minutes, Sarah began to think that Chuck's sister ,Ellie, had nothing she felt comfortable wearing. Her entire wardrobe made the black dress that she had been afraid to wear look like something the Amish might wear.

The problem that she had was that she didn't have any underwear and that was something she was not going to borrow. So that left her with wearing a very short dress cut extremely low with nothing on underneath it.

_Pull yourself together, Walker_, she thought. _This will be better than the robe that clung to you like a second skin. _

Sarah held up a red dress in front of her. As she looked at it, she took a deep breath. And just as she was about to leave, she noticed something else tucked away in Ellie's closet. She must have had fifty wigs of differing colors and styles and lengths. Sarah began to go through them one by one. She found one that she like and decided to take it with her as well.

From there, she went over to Ellie's dressing table and rummaged through it for make up. She found all sorts of things that she didn't even know what they were for. But she knew what the eye liner was and she knew about blush. Although she could not remember when the last time she had either one of them on.

She scooped them up along with the wig and the dress and went to find Chuck. She hadn't realized the hallway leading from the bedrooms to the kitchen and then to a family room was so long, but she finally found Chuck relaxing on a sofa and reading a magazine.

"Uh, would it be okay if I borrowed this wig? I'm not quite looking my best at the moment. You know…I've been undercover." She tried to keep a serious look on her face as she told, what to her, seemed like the most ludicrous lie she had ever heard.

"Sure, no problem," he said looking at her.

She caught the look. She didn't really recognize it. She had never seen the eye of an appreciative man before. But as she stood there watching him watch her, it dawned on her what that look was all about. As hard as she tried, she could not keep herself from turning dark red. She turned away as quickly as she could, hoping that he hadn't seen it.

_Spies do not get embarrassed when I man looks at them. There used to it_, she told herself.

Sarah didn't think she would ever get used to that particular look. It sent shivers down her backside.

As she walked back towards the shower, she called back to him. "Thanks."

Sarah walked into the shower with her loot and carefully set everything down. She laid the dress over the dressing table chair inside the bathroom. She put the makeup on the dressing table as well as the wig.

She noticed that the shower door was completely clear. Unlike her bathroom glass door to her own shower. This afforded no privacy at all. Not that she would need any privacy here she thought.

She turned the water on and adjusted it. When it felt perfect, she slipped out of her robe and into the shower.

She looked for the green soap that she always bought but didn't find anything remotely close to it in odor or color.

She picked up a small bar of soap and smelled of it. It was soft and very pleasing. _Feminine,_ she thought. After washing, she could still smell the aroma of the soap on her skin and she liked it.

She then began to look around for shampoo. She always used hair and body wash but again she didn't see anything like that in Ellie's shower. She looked through the myriad of bottles that lined the shower shelf. She read the labels and could not remember ever seeing any of them at Wal-Mart.

She picked up one bottle and began to read. As she finished, she was amazed. _I wonder if Rina knows about conditioner_, she thought. She sat it down and picked up a fancy shampoo she had never heard of and following the instructions, she washed her hair twice. Then she used the conditioner.

Just when she finished rinsing out the conditioner, she heard a knock on the door.

"Uh, Sarah, it's me. Listen, I have your friend on the phone and I tried to take a message but she insists on speaking to you. She says it's important."

"Lay the phone inside the door and I'll get it."

"I can't do that, remember. My phone is keyed to my fingerprints for security reasons. I tried to tell you this earlier."

"Tell her I'll call her back."

Sarah heard him speaking to Carina through the door. She could hear the anxiety in his voice.

"Sarah… she says she has to speak to you right now. It's a matter of life and death."

"Hold on, I'm coming." She stepped out of the still running shower. She was not done yet. She had every intention of speaking with Carina and getting back under that wonderful spray.

"Chuck where are the towels?"

"I don't know…Sarah, Carina is screaming."

Sarah began to wonder if Carina was alright. She didn't want to put her dirty robe back on and she couldn't find a towel to cover up with, Just as she was running out of options Chuck spoke again, making her decision for her.

"Get back in the shower. I'll hold the phone and keep my eyes closed. Carina is very upset."

Sarah had always been a very modest girl. Throughout her entire life, as far back as she could remember. As far as she knew, no boy, or man had ever seen her naked.

Before she could actually respond, Chuck yelled out again. "I'm coming in, I hope you're in the shower."

Sarah jumped back into the shower and closed the door…as though that did any good. She felt like the shower door glass was actually magnified to show ever imperfection of her body.

Chuck came in not realizing his sister's shower was completely see-through. He let out a gasp as he saw her and immediately closed his eyes. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, he said. I didn't realize that the…" he just let the sentence die understanding how lame he sounded.

Sarah gasped at the realization. But she could hear Carina yelling through the phone and quickly turned her attention to it.

With his eyes closed he said, "Here."

"Hand it to me," she said.

"I can't, it's not waterproof. You'll have to lean out here. I promise to keep my eyes closed."

Sarah was conflicted. Never before in her life had she imagined or even been able to imagine a situation like this. But she didn't have time to weigh out her options. Carina needed her and because of that, she did something she would have never thought possible two days ago. She opened the door of the shower and leaning out so that she was completely within view if he decided to open his eyes, she put the phone up to her ear while he held onto it.

"Carina, are you okay?" She listened to Carina, all the while, staring at Chuck's closed eyes for any sign that he was trying to sneak a peak. Much to her surprise and relief, he stood there with his eyes squished tightly together.

It made her smile for just a brief instant as she stood there watching him. But that instant was over when Carina told her what had her so upset.

"Oh my God, Sarah. Your apartment has been robbed."

"What," Sarah said as tenseness started at her shoulders and moved down into her abdomen.

"It's been trashed. All the drawers are on the floor the furniture is turned upside down and cut open." Carina began to cry. "Why would someone do this to you?"

"Carina, listen to me." Sarah's voice was like the calm of the ocean fifty feet below the surface while on top the hurricane raged.

"I want you to get out of there as fast as you can. Do you understand. Book yourself a ticket to LA leaving as early as you can find a flight."

"Sarah, I don't-"

"Carina, shut up and listen to me. Get out of there, you're in danger." Sarah screamed into the phone. She took another quick check to see that Chuck's eyes were closed and saw they were.

"Okay, I'm leaving. Where do you want to meet?"

"Are you leaving my apartment now?"

"Yes."

"Good, when you get inside your car, let me know."

Now Sarah felt more uncomfortable as she had nothing to say while she stood completely naked in front of a total stranger while her held a phone to her ear. During the hiatus, she began to smile at the earnest attempt Chuck was making to keep his eyes closed. She had to say something to him.

"Chuck, I appreciate you doing this," she said.

"What, letting you use my phone?" he asked.

She smiled even wider. "Among other things…like keeping your eyes closed."

"I can honestly tell you it's one of the hardest things I've ever done."

It was a revelation to Sarah. He not only wanted to look, he wanted to look real bad. She didn't understand why it was so important for him to want to see her that bad. It wasn't like she was Ana Wu or something. That she could understand.

"Well, like I said…I appreciate it."

"Sarah, I'm in my car," Carina said.

"Okay, when you come out here, I need you to bring my laptop. Where is it?"

"Sarah what is this all about?"

"Now is not the time. I'll tell you everything when you get out here. Now where is my laptop?"

"I've got it with me."

"Good…Carina, I don't want you to go back to your place. If they know about me, they know about you. Do you still have your neighbor's credit card?"

"Yeah," Carina said, clearly not liking the turn of the conversation.

"Use it to by your airline ticket."

"Sarah, I can't do that it's-"

"Carina, Goddamnit, shutup and listen to me. They're people trying to kill me. I'm afraid they will come after you to get to me. Just do what I fucking say…do you hear me?" Sarah did not remember saying that particular word in anger before. Carina had never heard it either and that's why it had the impact it did with her. She shut up and did exactly as she was told.

She booked a flight to LA with her elderly neighbor's credit card that she used to by him groceries. She spent the night in the airport carrying only Sarah's laptop with her.

X=X

When Sarah disconnected the phone call, she pushed Chuck's hand back towards him and step back into the shower. He turned to go with his eyes still closed. She stopped him with a single word.

"Chuck."

Without turning around he answered. "Yes."

"Can I ask you a question and I would appreciate it if you would give me an honest answer?"

"Shoot," he said with his back still to her.

"Earlier, when you said keeping your eyes closed was the hardest thing you've ever had to do. Why did you say that?"

Chuck let out a laugh. "You're kidding, right?"

"No, I'm serious. I'd like to know."

"Okay," he said stretching out the word. When I first came into the room, I have to admit that I saw you briefly. You are…are…a very beautiful woman."

It was almost as though he had stopped speaking English and switched to some other language that she had never heard before. She heard the words…but, could he really mean that?

She didn't know how to respond. What do you say when a man calls you beautiful. She didn't have a clue never having had the experience before.

"Thank you," she finally said and hoped that she didn't sound ridiculous.

Chuck left the room and Sarah decided to wash her hair again. She conditioned it twice. When she was done she combed her hair and put on the makeup as best as she could. She had a steady hand so the eyeliner was easy. But she had no idea how much blush to put on her face.

She put on way to much and then began to wipe it off until she thought she look pretty good. She stepped into her red dress going commando for both bra and panties.

Finally, she rolled her hair into a ball and put the wig on over the top and stood in the mirror looking at a reflection that was completely foreign to her. As she looked, she began to smile. As foreign as it was, she had to admit, she would have never thought it possible that she could look this good.

She left the bathroom with a smile on her face and made her way to the living room. .

"What's got you so happy?" Chuck asked and then stopped short upon seeing her. "Whoa, you look…look…incredible."

Sarah couldn't help the red that came to her cheeks. She mentally got control of herself as she continued to walk towards him. By the time she was standing in front of him, she had calmed herself down.

"Are we going to your house?"

"Uh, if you don't mind, I'd rather stay here at Ellie's. I've got a pest problem at my house."

Sarah made a face. "Mice," she asked.

"No, her name is Jill, this pest is about five seven and a brunette. It's my ex-girlfriend. She was supposed to be gone today but just called to say she needs another day to get all of her stuff out."

"Oh, I see. Yeah, sure. This place is great," she said. Somewhere in the recesses of her grey matter, she noted that important point that he was girlfriendless.

"I really appreciate you helping me like you have today. I'm not sure if I would be alive right now if you hadn't."

"Go on, I did what any red blooded American boy would do when he saw a beautiful woman dressed in the flimsiest of robes."

They both laughed at his joke, although Sarah was a little self conscious.

Sarah sat down beside him crossing her now softer smoother legs that were clearly visible now that her already short dress had ridden up her legs.. "I don't know anything about you except you have an ex staying at your house." She smiled at him, silently asking her question..

"Well, there's not much to tell. I work for the Buy More Corp."

"Oh yeah, I've shopped there before," she said. "What do you do there?"

"Uh, I'm in charge of operations."

Sarah looked at him, puzzled. "What does that mean?"

It means that the store managers at the two hundred and thirty seven stores across the country report to a guy who reports to me."

"I'm impressed," Sarah said.

"Don't be. I didn't claw my way up from the bottom like most people in my position. My family owns the Buy More Corp. My father gave me the job when I graduated from Stanford."

"So, how has the company done since you've been the boss?"

"Great, double digit growth year over year. We pay out profit sharing to all employees and have every year that I've been on board."

Sarah looked at him appraisingly. "You don't act like you are particularly responsible for all of that good fortune."

"In all honesty, I wonder if I've made any difference at all."

"I know that feeling," Sarah said, forgetting that she was supposed to be a CIA spy, someone who keeps people like Chuck safe.

"Come on, you? You work for the CIA for goodness sake. You're the most beautiful woman on the planet as far as I'm concerned and I'll bet you've got a great guy just waiting for you back home," he said seriously.

"No, I don't. I've just recently found out that working for the CIA can be a very lonely existence." Sarah thought back to the dying words of Amanda Barron. It made her sad to think that someone that young and beautiful would end up dying lonely.

Chuck saw the sad look on her face and thought she was talking about herself. He couldn't bear to see someone as beautiful as her looking so sad.

"Hey, I've got an idea. Why don't you go to the Jeffster concert with me? I bought the tickets when Jill and I were still together, but now that she's history…why don't you come with me?"

"Jeffster…what's that?"

"You're kidding, right? We're have they had you for the last two years, Serbia?" Chuck asked.

"Close," she said trying to sound mysterious. _I've been in Washington DC with my head up my ass_, she thought.

Jeffster is the biggest thing on the planet right now. They're classically trained musicians who play a fusion of Jazz and rock with melodies that are to die for. It's both complicated and beautiful."

"You sound like their manager."

"I wish. I love their music."

Sarah smiled at his enthusiasm and his charm. "Chuck, I wish I could but I've got a group of assassins on my tail. I think it's in my best interest to focus on that."

Chuck felt like an idiot. "Sure, I get that. I mean…wow, it really blows my mind to think about it," he said with honest concern.

"Tell me about it." Sarah managed to sound flippant but deep down she was terrified.

Chuck watched her as she was cool and calm all the while knowing there were people out there trying to find and kill her. He couldn't even imagine being in her circumstance. In a moment of compassion, he reached over and touched her bare shoulder and then slipped his hand down to her elbow. "If there's anything I can do, I will," he told her.

Sarah looked at his hand on her arm. She had just relived the feel of his touch as it slowly made its way down to where it now rested. Suddenly, she was aware that her heartrate had increased along with some other bodily changes due to increased blood flow to certain parts of her body. She wished that she had a bra on as Chuck's effect on her could clearly be seen as each breast protruded prominently through the thin material of her dress.

She thought back to just a few minutes before when she was standing right in front of him completely naked. She suddenly wanted to be naked again. But she wanted him naked too. She was twenty eight years old and had never even made out before. It took every ounce of self control she had not to remove her dress right there on the spot.

She wanted to tell him what he could do if he was serious about helping her, but somewhere in the back of her mind, she had learned from reading hundreds if not thousands of mission reports, that the last thing she wanted right now was to cloud her thinking with thoughts of this handsome man.

It was probably the hardest thing she had ever done.

"If you really want to help me, you'll take me back to the hotel," she said and surprised herself in that her voice was not nearly as husky as she expected it to be.

Chuck looked wide eyed, apparently not noticing just how close he was to getting laid. "You spies are a breed apart. Aren't you afraid someone will recognize you?"

_Don't say the word breed around me right now_, she said to herself.

"No, I don't think there's much chance of that. I was in disguise earlier." Sarah stood. "Come on, you wait in the car when we get there."

As they walked out the door, Chuck said to himself, _I don't like to wait in the car_.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: **Happy Holidays everone.**

I took a little more time with this. My hope is you will be able to see a little higher quality in the chapter. I would appreciate knowing what you think. I don't care if you review or just drop me a PM. My biggest reward doing this is talking about the stories with you and exchanging ideas.

Also, I've had a number of very nice reviews by non members which means I have no way to respond to your kind words. Just so you know, I really appreciate you all.

Three Days of Project Omaha

Chapter 4

When the car came to stop outside the iconic hotel, Sarah reached for the door handle and hesitated. "Wait here. I'll only be a few minutes."

"Sarah, wait. What's your cover?"

"What do you mean?"

Chuck looked at her, puzzled. "I mean, what's your strategy for going in there without being recognized?"

"Oh," Sarah laughed. "I look completely different than I did when I was here earlier. I don't think I'll be recognized."

"Yeah, but wouldn't it be better if you had a cover?"

Sarah looked at him trying to understand what he was getting at. "Your point?"

"Take a look in the glove compartment."

Sarah did as instructed and saw a small jewelry box. She looked at Chuck with her brow pulled down to her eyes. "What's this?" She asked as she opened it.

"I think we should get married."

"What?" she said, not able to take her eyes off the stone. A million thoughts skated through her mind as she recalled dreaming of a guy just like Chuck asking her that question countless times in her imagination.

"We should go in there together as a couple. That will be much less innocuous as if you go back in there by yourself. The ring just adds to the cover."

"Oh," she said, hoping she didn't sound disappointed.

"That was Jill's. She gave it back to me last week. Put it on, we might as well get some good from it."

Sarah looked at Chuck and thought about what he had said. He was right and she knew it. This would be much less suspicious for her. But on a completely differently level, she didn't like putting on Jill's ring. She had never met the bitch but she knew one thing for sure. She didn't like her. She recognized that she was jealous of someone she had never met over a guy she didn't really know. She glanced at him. _I wouldn't mind getting to know him_, she thought and mentally shook her head. She needed to stay focused.

She took a deep breath as she slipped the ring on her finger. She noted with a huge amount of satisfaction that it fit loosely on her finger. She couldn't help the catty remark as she exited the car. "Jill must have fat fingers," she said to herself but loud enough for Chuck to hear.

He chuckled to himself as he met her on her side of the car and offered her his arm. She took it with a smile. With the four inch heels, she could almost look him straight in the eye. As he looked at her, his expression changed from smiling to serious as he searched her eyes. Sarah had never had a man look at her this way and it made her nervous. The empty silence that ensued made her want to start babbling. She wanted to do something to fill in the silence of this void. But somehow she knew as if from instinct, that she had to wait it out.

As they neared the hotel, Chuck saw Sarah's reflection in the windows of the large front door. Her red dress stood out and he could not pull his gaze away. Actually, it wasn't really the dress but the woman that had captured his attention. Living in LA, he had seen his share of sexy women, but walking next to Sarah as they walked inside the spacious hotel, he realized just how sensual she was.

It was clear she wasn't wearing a bra but you couldn't tell it by the proud position her breasts assumed beneath the low-cut dress. But what really gave her away was their tantalizing movement as she walked. The metered rise and fall of that most alluring of features cadenced with each step drew the eye of every man in the building. And their eyes stayed on her as she and Chuck made their way to the front desk. They stayed on her because they had no choice but to watch her gavotte through the hotel lobby up to the front desk.

And for the men watching as she passed by, for an instant the disappointment was evident in their eyes as she passed them and they could no longer see that bewitching motion that so captivated them. Then, there was an almost painful glimpse of her perfect backside as she swayed from side to side with each step, her dress both clinging to her rump and swishing with each step in such a way that left no doubt she was as panty-less as she was braless. Their longing was almost absolute.

Although Sarah had not noticed the effect she had on the men inside the hotel, Chuck had. He looked back into her wake to see men pulling on their collars and taking deep breaths or just talking with one another with moronic grins on their faces. He wasn't sure, but he believed that a couple had even broken out in a sweat as they realized they were looking at feminine perfection. It was clear to Chuck that Sarah was world class.

Sarah was unaware of this because as she walked towards the front desk of the ultra posh, marbled floor of the hotel, she saw Ana Wu waiting for the clerk.

Chuck felt Sarah tense on his arm and he looked around to see what might have caused her alarm. He only saw one person standing at the desk. She was an attractive, but small, Asian woman dressed to the nines in a tasteful business formal skirt and white blouse. She watched them as they approached,looking at Chuck casually but more attention was concentrated on the blonde in the red dress. She was clearly appraising Sarah, more than appraising, she was appreciating her.

Sarah stood closest to Ana as Chuck asked if they had rooms available. Sarah dared look at her only once but smiled a hoity smile that she hoped went with her appearance.

"Uh, yeah, do you have any rooms on the first floor?" Chuck asked.

"Yes, Sir. We have one king size room."

"That will be great," he said thinking that they wouldn't be staying anyway. He pulled out a platinum American Express card and handed it to the teller.

"Chuck, I know it's getting late, but could we grab a bite to eat? I'm famished." Sarah smiled at him innocently.

"Sure, he said trying not to stare at her.

"Do you have any luggage, sir?" The man at the front desk asked.

Chuck hesitated for an instant.

"No, we're just here for the night. Our house is being fumigated," Sarah said as smoothly as if it were true.

Chuck marveled at her ability to conform to the situation. _That's what spies do_, he thought.

Just then, the person who was helping Ana Wu came back. "I'm sorry but there are no messages, Miss Wu."

Ana looked disappointed. "Alright, when Morgan Grimes gets in, have him call me before he leaves the front desk."

"Sure thing, Miss Wu," the desk clerk said.

Ana turned and looked at Chuck and then a little longer at Sarah before turning to walk away, most of the men in the area watched her as well but not quite with the same intensity as they had with Sarah.

Sarah took a deep breath as they turned away from the desk.

"What's wrong?" Chuck asked, picking up on her mood.

"It's nothing…it's just that woman is CIA. I know her by reputation but I don't think she knows me." Sarah spoke in a whisper so on one else could hear.

"Really, is she here because…?"

"No, but I'll bet she's involved in the investigation. You can't imagine what a big deal it is when an agent gets killed, especially on US soil. On top of that, whoever did it evidently thought they were killing me. You don't understand how odd that is. What's worse, they know they've made a mistake and they're still looking for me. Right now, I don't know who I can trust and who I can't because I don't know who they are."

Chuck was silent, obviously concerned for her. His expression was easily readable as he stood watching her.

Sarah took one glance at him and decided to lighten the mood. "Hey, are you gonna feed me or what?" she asked with a smile on her face.

"Yeah, sure. The entrance to the main restaurant is this way," he said as he put his hand on the back of her shoulder to guide her.

He led her to the swanky, candlelit restaurant and they were seated at a small marble topped table close to the bar. When Sarah sat down after having Chuck pull out her leather chair for her, she found herself looking at the mahogany bar which had more patrons than did the restaurant at this time of night.

The waitress was fast and efficient. They had their drinks within seconds and the meal within minutes.

Much to Sarah's relief, she found herself eating the swordfish in no time.

Halfway through her meal, she caught her breath as she saw Ana Wu sit down at the bar with Morgan Grimes. She had always thought that Morgan was the epitome of a secret agent. She had seen men who were more handsome but not many who were more sophisticated…Morgan Grimes oozed confidence with a dash of old-time debonair elegance. He always dressed in tailor-made clothing which added to his charm. His handmade shoes were imported from Europe. Although Chuck was obviously a well-to-do businessman, Morgan's belts probably cost more than Chuck's suits.

She continued to watch him as he and Ana finished their drink. Then to her amazement, and a little concern, they left the bar and walked directly toward her, but stopped short, sitting at the table nearest her and Chuck.

Sarah made sure that Chuck was aware of their presence with a touch of his foot with her own and a glance their way.

Not long after that, Ana seemed to notice Chuck and Sarah and smiled at both of them.

"I hope that pest problem is better soon," she said more to Sarah than to Chuck.

"If it isn't, I'll just die," Sarah said, slipping back into the character of Chuck's girlfriend, a character she quite enjoyed.

She had spent the majority of her adult life day-dreaming about practically anything under the sun, anything that took her away from her lonely and boring life. So playing the role of Chuck's girlfriend seemed as natural to her as breathing air.

"What kind of pests do you have?" Ana looked at Chuck this time.

Chuck stammered as he looked nervously to Sarah for help. She realized that he was going to blow it with these two highly trained operatives.

"To tell you the truth, it's not really the kind of pest you're thinking about. My fiancé's ex-girlfriend, who is an old friend of his family, is staying over at our house. Normally, she's almost tolerable but when she gets a little too much to drink…I'd rather stay at a hotel than deal with her talking about the great times she and Chuck had back in the day," Sarah said knowingly.

Ana winked at her as she nodded her head. "I can understand that," she said, smiling warmly. "Aren't ex-girlfriends the worst?" Ana shot a quick look at Morgan which told Sarah that there was an ex-girlfriend in their situation too.

Sarah rolled her eyes in response.

"What brings you to LA?" Sarah asked.

"Business," Ana and Morgan said in unison. They way they said it made Sarah think that it was a practiced response. _Maybe it was just something they were asked all the time. _

Sarah nodded her head as if that said it all. "There's an odd vibe around here tonight." She looked at Chuck. "Don't you feel it, honey?"

"Yeah." He said nothing more. Chuck felt a little overmatched, playing this game of pretend with three CIA agents.

"A government agent was killed this afternoon," Ana said with what certainly sounded like legitimate sadness.

"What! You're kidding?" Sarah said, feigning shock.

"The really sad thing is it looks like another CIA employee killed her."

"What!" she said again, but this time the shock was real. Sarah's head was swimming. Did they think she killed Amanda or were these men that killed her with the CIA? Either way, she realized that she was in a far worse situation that she had known.

"Yeah, it looks like we have a dirty employee," Ana said.

_Employee…not employees_, Sarah thought. T_hey think I killed her. _She fought to stay calm.

"Ana," Morgan said, his expression told her to be quiet. The cold and calculating Morgan Grimes always played things close to the vest.

Sarah wanted to ask more questions but she knew instinctively that it would arouse the CIA agent's suspicions.

Instead she looked at Chuck.

"Isn't that just awful?" she said and ignored the spies.

He had a mouthful of food and just made an agreeable sound. She noticed her avoided her eyes.

For the rest of her time in the restaurant, she made small talk with Chuck, all the while listening to the conversation going on at the next table. She heard bits and pieces but not really enough to put the whole story together.

She knew that she had to contact her supervisor as soon as Carina arrived to make sure he knew that she was not the killer and that she was not on the run. She needed her laptop to do that.

After they had finished eating, Sarah asked Chuck to take her to their room. She noticed he seemed quieter than normal. But she wasn't prepared to say anything more until they got to the security of their room.

After they walked down the spacious and decorated hallway into the luxurious quarters, Sarah turned to Chuck.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" he asked nervously.

Sarah saw through him instantly. "Chuck, I didn't kill, Amanda. You saw those men chasing me."

"How do I know they weren't CIA trying to capture you after you did it…and I helped you escape?"

Sarah couldn't believe her ears. Her eyes filled with tears and began to sting. She wished she had the control of an agent to stop such an easy tell on how his words had affected her, but she could not keep the salty liquid from running down her cheeks.

"Chuck…I'm one person against the whole CIA. If they believe I killed Amanda, I will need your help to prove my innocence. It will be hard enough with you. I don't I have a prayer without you."

There was something about the last sentence she spoke. There was power in those words. She felt it and she knew Chuck did too by the odd expression that came over his face. The words seemed to take on a life of their own.

"What?" he said as if he had misheard.

She didn't have the courage to repeat them, although they ran straight and true to her heart. "What I mean to say is…I need your help or I'm afraid I'll take the rap for something, that I promise you, I didn't do." Her eyes implored him to believe her.

Chuck searched her eyes. Just when she thought he was about to say something, he renewed the close scrutiny of one eye then the other.

Finally, he shook his head as if he didn't really believe what he was going to say. "I hope you don't make me regret this…but…what can I do to help?" he said and watched for the first time as Sarah gave him her happiest smile. He couldn't help but respond as Sarah wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered in his ear.

"Thank you." Her lips barely touch his ear. "I know you don't have any reason to believe me but I promise that you made the right choice." Before leaving the close proximity of his neck, she took a deep breath, taking in the scent of him. Before she even knew what she was doing, she kissed him on the cheek.

The kiss took Chuck a little by surprise but what really got him was the feel of her soft, open lips as she rubbed them across the stubble on his cheek. It was more sensual than any other kiss he could remember.

They stepped away from each looking surprised and embarrassed as they both looked for something else to look at instead of each other's eyes. Sarah knew she was already too close to the tipping point, to that fulcrum that she had never crossed before…but wanted to.

She searched for something to say. "Chuck, would it be okay if we stayed here tonight? I would like to nose around a little more especially in the morning. Would you mind?"

"I don't mind, but what will you sleep in?" His expression showed his concern, or hope.

Sarah hadn't thought of that. All she had with her was the dress she was wearing. Before she could respond, he had another question.

"And where would we sleep?"

She knew what he was really asking. Would they both sleep in the same bed?

"I wouldn't mind us sharing the bed if I had some pajamas but sleeping in the raw and with you," she scrunched up her face. "Might just be too much."

Just then, Chuck's face lit up. "Hey, I keep a travel bag in my car in case I have to go to a store on the spur of the moment. I have a couple of shirts in it. You could wear one of them."

"You wouldn't happen to have a pair of panties in there would you?" she said smiling.

"Uh," he hesitated as if he was actually going through the inventory, counting off each item on his fingers. "No." he finally said, grinning.

She smiled at him. She really liked his sense of humor.

"Wait here, I'll get my bag. You can wear whatever you like." Chuck left the room and hurried to his car.

Sarah went into the bathroom to wash her face and use the facilities. When she was through, she went to stand in front of the window and looked out at the city. Her focus switched from the hustle and bustle of the busy lights buzzing up and down the highways like neurons, to the blonde in the red dress. She couldn't believe how her life had turned upside down in the matter of a few hours. She had never thought of herself as homely before but now…she actually looked beautiful.

If someone had told her that she would be getting ready to spend the night with the kind of guy she had always dreamed about, she would have laughed in their face. This reality that she was actually experiencing was nothing more than a fantasy when the work week started.

Just as she started to think about actually being in the same bed with Chuck, something she had never done before, not just with Chuck but any man, he walked through the door carrying a leather travel bag and a smile that she found almost irresistible.

He walked over to the bed and sat the bag on it. He opened it and rifled through it until he found the desired items.

"Here you go, I think this will do nicely. Take your pick," he said pitching them to her as she still stood in front of the window. She caught them effortlessly; her hand-eye coordination was as world-class as her body.

She smiled at him sweetly. "Thank you," she said in her cute voice and walked towards the bathroom to change.

While Sarah was in the other room, Chuck stripped down to his boxers; carefully placing is clothes on the back of the chair and got under the covers. He anticipated her appearance, hardly able to take a breath. He could only imagine what she would look like dressed in only his button down shirt. It didn't help to know that she would be wearing nothing on underneath the shirt.

Just when he thought he could not wait another moment to see her, out she steps, looking a little embarrassed which only added to the aspect of her. He knew she was far too experienced to be embarrassed by something as innocent as this. But it gave her an allure that he found almost impossible to resist. She was a contradiction. _An innocent prostitute_, he thought.

She walked to the bed without removing her eyes from his. Her cheeks flashed red as she pulled back the covers and caught a small glimpse of his boxers and his muscled abdomen. It sent a shiver down her spine. She hurriedly slipped under the covers and waited for him to turn out the light on his side of the bed.

When the lights were out, she swore that he would be able to hear the sound of her deep and lustful breaths as she fought with herself for self control. It occurred to her after about five minutes that not acting on her desire to have him was the hardest thing she thought she had ever down.

She knew that in her current situation, she could not act upon her desires. It would complicate things too much. She had an uphill battle to fight the way it was. Having to do all of this, while dealing with her own desires, would be more than she could cope with.

She sighed heavily as she thought about how this night had to be and she heard Chuck speak in a hesitant voice.

"How long have you been doing this kind of thing?" he asked.

"You mean, how long have I worked for the CIA?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"Almost ten years now."

"I'll bet there's not much you haven't seen, huh?" he asked, awe hinting at the edges of his words.

"You could say that," she said thinking about all of the mission reports that she had read. It was true…there wasn't much that she hadn't seen, or at least read about.

"Can I ask you a personal question?" he asked.

Sarah heard the danger signals but couldn't actually say no. "Sure, she said knowing that it was a mistake.

"Do you have someone special… you know, when you come back home from wherever it is you go…is there someone waiting for you?"

Sarah looked over towards Chuck. She couldn't actually see his eyes but she knew they were searching for hers just like she was for his. She was suddenly grateful for the dark.

She found it hard to swallow. She tried twice with no luck. Finally on her third attempt, she found her voice. "No, I couldn't really ask anyone to wait for me…especially when I may never return." She tried to find his eyes again. "It just wouldn't be fair." She had slipped into that persona of Sarah Walker, super spy, that she so often day-dreamed about.

"It must be hard. Not having anyone to share your life with. I can't imagine how lonely you must feel sometimes," he said, his voice low to hide the emotion he was feeling.

Sarah could not take that. It was just too close to home. She was lonely. She had been lonely her whole life. She didn't need Chuck feeling sorry for her…not right now, while he was so close that he could stop the loneliness with just one touch.

"Chuck, please don't. Let's go to sleep. I've got an important day tomorrow." She turned on her side facing away from him. She could hear the disappointment in his voice when he answered.

"Sure, I'm sorry, Sarah. Don't pay any attention to me. I'm just a little star-struck by you." Chuck rolled onto his side facing away from her so that he could try to keep the thought of her proximity out of his mind.

"Goodnight Sarah," he said softly.

"Goodnight Chuck," she repeated and prayed that God would let her find sleep quickly.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: This chapter is a little spicey. I've tried to keep it tasteful but be forwarned that it deals with intimate behavior between a man and a woman. If you don't want to read about that, then don't read this.

Three Days of Project Omaha

Chapter 5

Chuck began the slow journey back to consciousness from a deep sleep knowing as he did that something was not right. The first thing he recognized was that he was not in his own bedroom. The second thing he realized was that was not Jill's hand on his chest. He quickly remembered Jill breaking up with him.

He looked over at the beautiful blond lying next to him with a peaceful smile on her face. He slowly picked up her hand and removed it from his torso and laid it on the wall of pillows that she had evidently built as a barrier between them.

As her hand came to rest on the pillows, her face scrunched up in a pouting frown.

"No," she said in a whiny, little girl voice, and put her hand back where it had been. Her expression resumed its contented course as she snuggled deeper into the pillows.

Chuck sighed deeply and waited for her to wake up. To bide the time, he watched her as she slept. The slow, rhythmic rise and fall of her chest was hypnotizing. Her skin was pale but in a good way. It looked soft and inviting.

He noticed with a deep intake of breath when her leg found its way outside of her covers, and was exposed past her hip. He had never seen a leg as beautiful before. It was actually hard to pry his gaze away from the tantalizingly sight.

Sarah's hand began to move in seductive circles around his chest as she started to murmur soft sounds of pleasure and contentment.

He wondered briefly if she was dreaming and then held his breath as Sarah began to climb the soft barrier she had constructed to get closer to him. At the apex of the pillows, she opened her eyes and they locked with Chuck's.

This time Sarah recognized the look she received from Chuck. It was serious communication without words. But that expression spoke to her more deeply than any conversation could have.

Without thinking about the consequences, she practically dove from the top of the pillows, landing on Chuck as she wrapped her arms around him. She found his lips with her own while at the same time feeling Chuck's hands caress her back and sides and then finally parts of her body that had never felt the touch of a man.

To say she had never been kissed might be inaccurate. At best, it was arguable. But there was no argument in her own mind that she had never felt anything like the hungry, open mouth of Chuck Bartowski.

_So that's what a French kiss feels like_, she thought as she wondered if she liked the sensation of Chuck's tongue inside her own mouth. Within seconds, she realized that she did and aggressively pursued his with her own, dancing and wrestling together like participants in some voodoo ritual as they twisted and turned, flopping about with no other purpose than to experience the sensation and feel of the other person's lips and tongues. Their bodies were performing the same dance concurrent with their tongues, as the king size bed suddenly seemed to small for them.

Sarah didn't know when or how she got out of her shirt, but realized that Chuck was in the same state of undress as she felt his body along the full spectrum of her own.

Sarah was enjoying the moment beyond what she had always imagined when she suddenly felt that part of Chuck's anatomy that was strictly male.

_Foreplay is overrated_, she thought as moved to position herself so they could conclude this new activity for her.

_So this is what all the fuss is about?_ She thought. _I thought it would be...better. Awww...Oh my God, don't stop doing that!_

_X=X_

Sarah stood under the relaxing, hot water of the shower reliving her first encounter with a man. She oscillated between wishing that she hadn't done it and remembering the amazing connection she felt with Chuck. She wondered if the connection was a normal feeling from doing, with someone, what she had done with Chuck or was there something special between them, a connection.

_Stop it, Sarah. This is why you know you shouldn't have done it. Things will get weird from now on and it's your fault. _But despite her mental scolding, she was glad she had finally done it, and she was glad that it was Chuck she had done it with.

Sarah stood with her head under the spray. She stood for for so long that she had ran out of hot water She hated to leave. She was hesitant to look into Chuck's eyes for the first time since...after.

She didn't know what she would do if he treated what they had done like it was a hug or a handshake. Because, for her, it wasn't. That's not to say there was a large dose of lust running through her veins this morning, but she liked Chuck. There was something about him. She really wanted to be with him.

She dried off and slipped back into her red dress. Even though she had hung it up carefully last night, it was apparent that it had been worn the night before.

Standing in front of the mirror, she rolled her hair up in a ball and slipped the wig back on. She wiped off the mirror with her towel and then applied the makeup she had taken from Chuck's sister's house. As she looked at her own reflection, she couldn't help but think about making love to Chuck. She knew that it meant more to her than it should. She briefly wondered what it meant to Chuck. _Was it __sex or was it more_. Although she knew for herself, that it would be better if she could think of it as just sex and focus on the situation she found herself in, she could already tell that she was long passed being able to do that.

She thought of Ana Wu as she applied the eyeliner to her eyes. She knew for a fact that Ana had slept with at least a dozen men just to gain their trust. She realized that the gap between herself and Ana was vast. She didn't think she had it in her to treat Chuck like just another guy...not after what happened this morning.

_Was it special or is that how it is?_ She thought as she applied the last of the makeup to her cheeks.

When she was finished, she slipped into her shoes and hesitated before opening the door. _It will kill me if he blows me off_, she thought again. At the same time, she knew that is what she should do to him.

She knew she could not do it.

She opened the door and stepped out. She immediately found his eyes and was not able to break away as she sought any indication that he felt the same way.

"Are you ready?" he asked hesitantly.

Sarah nodded in response.

"Do you mind if we go by my house before we go back to Ellie's? I'd like to take a shower and change clothes and it's on the way. Besides, we have plenty of time before your friend's plane arrives."

"You're still going to help me?" Sarah asked as she took a doubtful step forward.

Chuck's face turned observant as his brow pulled down a little. "I had planned on it...that is, if you still want my help?" His voice was unsure.

"No, no...I want it. I mean, I need your help." She was embarrassed by her choice of words.

They both smiled through the awkwardness and Chuck began to walk towards the door. "Let's get out of here, I can't help but think it's dangerous for you here," he said as he put his hand on the back of her shoulder and guided her to the door.

Sarah hoped that the jolt of electricity she felt at his touch didn't cause her to jump noticeably. As they walked down the hall and passed the elevator, uninvited, she relived their moment of passion and had to mentally calm herself. Much to her surprise, she actually thought about pulling him into the elevator. She knew at that moment not to look at him or she would loose whatever control she had left. She had never been this horny before in her life. She realized that up until this morning, for a twenty eight year old virgin, that was saying something.

_Sarah, get a grip_, she thought as they walked through the lobby, through the front doors and into the car that Chuck had phoned ahead to have waiting for them.

The drive to Chuck's house was awkward caused by the intimacy they had shared without really knowing anything about the other person. Had it just been a fling or a night out for sex, neither of them would be searching for something to say but that was not the case for either of them. As the silence stretched further, Chuck blurted out the first thing he could think of.

"I love eggs."

Sarah's eyebrows dipped. "What?" she said.

"Oh, I said I love eggs. I'm getting hungry and I was thinking that a nice breakfast would be nice. Do you want to stop someplace a grab a bite to eat?"

She looked at him and smiled. Somewhere in her thought process she realized that he was trying to hard just like she was. It was a comfort to know that he was struggling too. It told her that in the very least, he wasn't thinking about her like she was just an easy lay.

"I'd love to, but can we wait until after we change clothes? I'd really like to get out of this dress." She looked at him embarrassed by what she had said. "What I mean to say-"

"Sure," he said, smiling, cutting her off. "I knew what you meant."

The rest of the drive had little more conversation but somehow it was less awkward than before.

It took about twenty minutes but soon enough they were pulling into the drive of a huge home just five blocks off of the ocean. Sarah had thought Ellie's home was spectacular but after seeing Chuck's, she realized that they were people of real and substantial wealth.

"This is your home?" she asked wide eyed as she left the car and followed Chuck to the front door.

Chuck looked at her and smiled. "Yeah, isn't it quaint?"

"Quaint?" Sarah asked.

"You should see my parents house,: he said without elaborating. "Come on, I'll take a quick shower and change clothes and then we'll go back to Ellie's so you can find something else to wear." He opened the door and walked in.

Sarah followed him inside what she considered a mansion. "Do you have any servants?" she asked, her voice seeming as small as she felt at the moment.

Chuck laughed. "Not really. I have a service come over twice a week to clean the place. It's just me and Ji-"

Chuck looked away embarrassed. "I mean it's just me here now."

"Well, if you ask me, Jill has to be an idiot to leave you." Sarah said and then had to look away as the expression she received from Chuck was too real, too emotional for her to deal with. "What I mean to say is...that you seam like a very nice man."

Chuck smiled at her demeanor. "Thank you. I have to say, you've been good for my state of mind."

Sarah jerked back to look at him. She didn't know exactly what he was referring to...the sex or something else.

Chuck picked up on her vulnerability. "No, Sarah. I didn't mean that. What I meant to say is that with Jill leaving me, I have been feeling a little low. Since I've met you, I've hardly thought about her at all."

"Oh," Sarah said and smiled at him.

"I'll get my shower, the kitchen is in there. Make yourself a snack if you want. I'll just be a second," he said and hurried up the triple wide staircase of the home.

Sarah thought about asking if he wanted company but thought that would seem slutty. But as she made her way into the kitchen the thought lingered on her mind.

She grabbed an apple and began to eat it as she looked around the place. She had never been in a house like this before. The appliances were all high end stainless steel, the cabinets were either cherry or mahogany, she didn't know for sure and the counter tops were marble. She looked around in wonder as she realized that Chuck's kitchen was as large as her apartment.

She left the kitchen and walked into a study or a TV room of some kind. The room was decidedly masculine with red leather chairs and matching couch. The floor was hardwood as apposed to the tile in the kitchen. The transition from room to room was obviously professionally done. It really grabbed the eye.

Sarah sat down to finish her apple and wait for Chuck. Just when she heard the water to the shower turn off through the plumbing system, she was startled by the sound of a female voice.

"Who the fuck are you?"

Sarah jumped at the sound and spun around to see a beautiful brunette looking at her with evil in her eyes.

Sarah remembered seeing a picture of Ellie at her house. This wasn't Ellie...that only left one person. Sarah took an immediate dislike to her as she stood to great her.

"Hi Jill, I'm Sarah."


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Happy New Year everyone. I hope you enjoy this chapter. I rushed it a little to get it posted today so please ignore the typos.

Three Days of Project Omaha

Chapter 6

" I didn't ask you what your name is, I asked you what you're doing here?" Jill said, stepping towards Sarah as she scrutinized her clothing. Her expression couldn't be more haughty.

"Uh, nothing really. I'm just waiting for Chuck to get out of the shower. He has some things to do." Sarah did her best to be pleasant even if it was with a clenched jaw.

"Things," Jill said as she walked around Sarah. "And...are you one of those things?"

_Oh, he's already done me, bitch, and if I've got anything to say about it, he'll be doing me again. _Sarah thought as she looked at Jill, the distaste growing inside her like a strong need to vomit_._

Sarah laughed nervously. "Don't be silly. He's just-"

"Sarah, I forgot to ask, what are we going to be doing" I mean how should I dress." Chuck spoke all the way down the steps and stopped short when he saw Jill standing in front of Sarah. Chuck knew her well enough to know she was in full confrontation mode.

"Jill, what are you doing here?" Chuck stood in only a towel. Actually, he had to hurriedly wrap it around himself.

Jill kept her eyes on Sarah but she hadn't missed the initial position of his towel as she responded. "I guess I could ask you the same question," she said and walked over so that she was standing in front of him. "It didn't take you long to get back in the saddle."

_I'm not a horse you poisonous bitch_, Sarah thought.

Jill, this is not." Chuck stopped what he was saying as his brow pulled down. "What business is it of yours who I'm here with?"

"Oh, your right. This is none of my business." She stood behind him now as she spoke so that she could see Sarah over his shoulder. "But I guess it would be good to know if my ex-fiancée was a two-timing scuzz."

"Jill, we only met yesterday afternoon. He's not been cheating on you," Sarah said, feeling the need to defend him.

"Yesterday afternoon! I see. And yet he's standing here with just a towel on like he's quite comfortable being naked with you. What does that say about you?"

That got Sarah going. She had seen Jill's type before. In fact, she had been bullied by women like Jill all of her life. Had the Sarah of last week been standing here, she would have probably said nothing, but not this Sarah. She knew she looked as good as Jill...maybe better, even in this wrinkled dress and looking good had given her self confidence. There was no way she was going to just roll over and take it.

"You read anything you want into it...I don't care. But you know what I see. I see a pathetic woman who is upset that her **ex**-fiancée is with another woman. You obviously don't want him for yourself because you called off the wedding. So the only reason you're mad is that you're afraid he's liable to be happy with someone besides yourself." Sarah took a step towards Jill that got the brunette's attention in that her body language clearly showed she was not afraid. "What does that say about you?" Sarah did her best imitation of the sneering laugh she had been the recipient of for so many years.

She saw that her words hit home by the expression on Jill's face. "Furthermore, what Chuck and I have done or are yet to do," she said with emphasis. "Is none of your business."

Jill was not used to being in this situation. She was the only daughter of a well known actress and she had been spoiled her whole life. She was used to getting anything she wanted and stepping on whoever she wanted without consequences.

Jill's face contorted in rage as she took a step towards Sarah and Sarah responded likewise. For the first time in Sarah's life, she had stood up to someone like Jill. At this very moment, Jill represented all of the girls and women who had ever made fun of her. She had every intention of feeling the satisfaction that comes from kicking someone's ass.

"Jill, stopped," Chuck said and there was something in the desperation in his voice that got through the anger clouding her mind. She stopped and waited for him to continue.

"You're not bringing a knife to a gunfight..." Chuck let the words sink in. What Sarah didn't know was that these two used that phrase all the time. "You've brought a knife to a nuclear war."

Sarah watched as the words had an affect on the woman in front of her. She felt the sudden swell of disappointment when she saw that Jill was not going to proceed.

Sarah had taken every martial arts class that the CIA had provided free for all of their employees. She had taken the self defense classes for women and she had even joined a Dojo on her own because she found that it was one thing she was pretty good at. And, she didn't need to wear make up and a short dress to participate.

Jill frowned and looked from Chuck back to Sarah as the anger she felt was replaced by fear. "Who are you?" she asked.

Sarah just stared back at her.

"Sarah, you have to tell her something," Chuck said.

Sarah took her eyes off of Jill for the first time and looked at Chuck. "Do I?"

"Yes, she'll ask questions and generally cause problems for your investigation."

"Are you a cop?" Jill asked.

Sarah ignored her. "Not if I make one phone call. She'll never bother me again." Sarah was playing the part of a stone cold CIA assassin like Ana Wu. She focused her eyes back on Jill. She hoped she had gotten the emotionless look of a killer right. She knew she did when she saw Jill shiver.

"Uh, Chuck, I don't know what you've got yourself involved with, but I don't want any part of it," Jill said and turned to go.

"Jill, Sarah said in a voice that made her stop in her tracks. "I'm going to have my people keep an eye on you. Until this is over, there will be someone watching you every second of the day."

Jill's eyes grew as large as silver dollars, she shook her head and hurried out of the house.

Chuck waited until Jill had closed the door. "Is that right?" he asked.

"Is what right?"

"Are you going to have people watching her?"

Sarah looked at him surprised by his naiveté. "Chuck, I don't have anyone to watch her. I'm on my own here. It was just a bluff so she wouldn't talk."

"Oh," he said, looking relieved.

"Chuck, I have to tell you, she seemed like a horrible person. What did you ever see in her?"

Chuck looked at Sarah and frowned. "It's complicated." He looked deep into Sarah's eyes hoping that he would have to say no more.

Sarah raised her eyebrows. "I guess." She complied with hsi wishes.

Chuck saw that she was not satisfied with his response. "Sarah, you saw Jill at her worst. She can be a very different person."

Sarah didn't like hearing Chuck defend Jill so she changed the subject. "We need to hurry. I don't want to be late getting to the airport."

"Sarah, about that. Jill left some clothes in the bedroom. You might want to look at them. It would save you time."

Sarah didn't even have to think about it. "No, I don't want to wear anything of that..." Sarah saw Chuck cringe. "Look, I'd rather not wear her clothes. Besides, I'm not sure they would fit."

Before Chuck thought, he blurted out. "What do you mean? You are almost identical in size." He realized his mistake immediately. "She might be a bit larger than you. Let me get dressed and we'll go over to Ellie's."

Chuck turned and ran back upstairs before he had another chance to stick his foot in his mouth.

X=X

Later that morning, Chuck opened the door to Ellie's house and Sarah walked in. She went immediately to Ellie's bedroom, intent on finding something suitable to wear as quickly as possible.

"I'm getting dressed," she called out from Ellie's bedroom and stepped out of her dress and then her shoes.

She went back into Ellie's closet and was surprised to find many more clothes that she considered wearing. She realized that she was more open to wearing short dresses cut low. It amused her that she could change so dramatically, so quickly. Realizing that she looked beautiful had made a huge difference in how she thought about herself.

Sarah pulled a little black dress off of the hanger and looked at it for a moment. She remembered looking at it last night thinking she couldn't possibly wear something this revealing. She stepped out of the closet and laid the dress on the bed and looked up, startled to find Chuck standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame. Sarah could not escape the appreciation she saw in his eyes as they explored her naked body.

"Sorry, if I'm being too forward, but I was thinking about this morning...and well I thought we might try that again," Chuck said with that serious expression she had seen him shower on her three times now. It always gave her that fuzzy feeling down there.

His words made her legs feel like noodles. She wanted nothing more than to climb onto the bed and resume being lovers. When she answered him, her voice was husky with emotion and excitement.

"There's nothing I'd rather do...believe me," she said, capturing his eyes. "But I can't afford to be late for Carina. She's doesn't know LAX and I want to make sure we're there when she lands."

She watched Chuck purse his lips and shake his head. "It was worth a try," he said and turned to go.

"Hey," Sarah called after him. "Can I have a rain check on that?"

Chuck moved back to the doorway. "Sure," he said, smiling. You name the time and the place and I'll be there."

"Promise," she said, seriously.

"Promise," he said and began to walk towards her.

"Not another step," Sarah said.

Chuck stopped dead. "What?"

"We don't have time. You touch me right now and we'll be late."

"Really," Chuck said and a huge smile appeared on his face. He had no idea he had that affect on her.

"Really, you just go back to the kitchen. I'll be out in a little while."

Sarah watched Chuck do as he was told. She didn't know how she knew it, but somehow she knew he wore that goofy grin all the way down the long hallway to Ellie's kitchen.

Sarah took a couple of deep breaths to get her heart rate down. She walked over to Ellie's dresser and went through the top two drawers. To her surprise, she found a black bra and pantie set unopened in Ellie's dresser. She saw that they were just her size and began to rip open the package. She quickly got dressed and and found a different pair of shoes and even a little black purse that went perfectly with her dress. She found a new wig with longer blond hair and put it on. After she freshened up her makeup, she walked towards the kitchen to find Chuck.

She saw him reading the newspaper and she cleared her throat to let him know she was there. He causally peered over the top of the paper before looking back towards it. He suddenly jerked it down making it crinkle loudly as he brought it down into his lap unceremoniously.

"Wow," he said as she turned in a circle for him to see.

"How do I look?" she asked.

"Wow," he said again.

She stopped her circular journey. "Is that all you can say?" she asked, wondering if he was making a joke.

"Wow," he said again.

"Chuck, it's not that good," Sarah said, feeling he was overreacting.

Chuck stood and made a hesitant step towards her. "You don't have a clue do you?"

Sarah frowned. "A clue about what?"

"Honestly, you are stunningly beautiful. I'm not kidding when I tell you that you take my breath away."

At that Sarah smiled. It was a real smile as she got what he said. It made her feel better than anything she could imagine. This guy...this guy that she just met thought she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. It was just one more piece to the puzzle that mended what had been broken within her.

She walked up to him and kissed him invitingly on the lips. The kiss lasted long enough to get both of their heart rates up.

When she broke away, she smiled as she looked into his eyes. "Thank you, that's one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me."

"Although I find that hard to believe, that's good because you're the nicest thing that's ever happened to me."

Sarah smiled at him. He was so easy to read and it was clear that he was speaking from his heart.

"Come on, we need to get to the airport. I don't want to be late," she said through her smile.

Chuck led the way to the front door and opened it for Sarah. She pulled up when she saw a pretty brunette standing in the doorway.

"Chuck! What are you doing here?" she asked, looking at Sarah. The unasked question was, a_nd __who is this? _

_"_Ellie, I'm sorry I didn't know you were coming back this soon. Uh, we had to spend the night at your place because Jill was cleaning her stuff out of mine."

"We?" she said, looking at Sarah.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Ellie this is Sarah. Uh, Sarah is a very good friend of mine."

Chuck wanted to tell Sarah that Ellie always had to stick her nose into everything that he was involved with...even his women. He didn't know why, it's not as though she ever really gave him advice or anything. She just wanted to know.

Sarah and Chuck made room for Ellie to come into her own home. Sarah couldn't help but think she had the proverbial _deer in the headlight_ look on her face. She looked at Chuck and noticed that he had some of her lipstick on his face. She was wearing one of Ellie's dresses and shoes and even underwear for crying out loud. And, now she was so glad that she had not given in to temptation a few minutes ago. As awkward as this was, she couldn't imagine if Ellie had walked in on her and Chuck in Ellie's bed.

_Thank God for that_, she thought. Sarah looked at Chuck trying to silently communicate that they needed to be going.

"Uh, yeah, Ellie, we have to go. But we'll be back. Sarah and I want to talk with you too."

Sarah's head snapped up to look at him. _What do I have to talk with his sister about?_ She thought. _Unless... _She looked at him even closer. _Is he saying what I think he's saying?_

_"_Okay," Ellie said a little confused. "But hurry back. I'm anxious to talk with you. The both of you," she said to their retreating forms.

Chuck got inside the car after getting the door for Sarah. He started the car and began the drive to the airport. Looking at his watch, he said, "If we don't have bad traffic, we'll be okay," he said.

Sarah didn't even respond. All that kept playing through her mind was that Chuck told his sister that they would be back to talk with her. It seemed to her like Chuck was actually saying there was something between them... besides great sex. It gave her a feeling she could honestly say she had never felt before in her life.

As they drove in silence, she decided that she couldn't just let it lie there like that. "Chuck, can I ask you something?"

"Sure," he said.

"What did you mean when you told your sister that we would be back to talk with her?"

Chuck stole a glance her way. "Nothing, I just thought that it would be a good idea...you know, under the circumstances that my sister get to know you."

Sarah still wasn't sure of his meaning and conveyed her perplexity with her expression and watched as he began to look anxious. "Sarah, I'm sorry," he said, misinterpreting her meaning. "I assumed that we had something together but I forget about who you are and that this must be just be another day for you." He looked back to the traffic. "I'm sorry if I embarrassed you or something."

At that moment, Sarah could have started singing at the top of her lungs. She finally understood what he was trying to say. He wanted her to go back and meet Ellie because they were a couple. Sarah had never been in a relationship before and that's why she needed to make sure what he was saying or she was afraid she would have made a fool of herself. But instead, she saw that Chuck thought that he was the one with the fools cap on.

Sarah thought about what to say in this circumstance. She couldn't seem eager. She had a cover to maintain with him. As far as he knew, she was a badass CIA assassin like Ana Wu. But on the other side of the coin, she didn't want to blow an opportunity.

"Chuck, of course I will talk with your sister. And you're right. We need to maintain the cover relationship as boyfriend and girlfriend. And who knows...if I survive this and I'm not thrown in prison for the next thirty years, maybe we can see where this goes."

Chuck smiled at her then, realizing that she had a huge weight on her shoulders. _Geez, Bartowski. She's got the Sword of Damocles hanging over her head and you're trying to stake your claim. _

"Sarah, listen. I want to apologize for jumping to conclusions earlier-"

"Chuck stop. It was cute."

"Cute, golly gee, that makes me feel a whole lot better."

She smiled at him. "For your information, cute means something good to girls. I don't think it has the same connotation with guys...but trust me. I meant that from a girls viewpoint."

Chuck smiled back at her and pursed his lips together. "I can live with that," he said.

"Chuck, when we get to the airport and meet Carina, let's just keep the cover...okay?"

Chuck's brow pulled down. "I don't understand. Didn't you tell me that Carina is in the same line of work as you? Why would you need to maintain the cover with her?"

"Just trust me. It will go easier this way. It gets hard enough when you're undercover and you have to remember who knows the cover and who doesn't. It' will just be easier this way."

"No problem," he said looking at her and smiling. "It's a hard job but somebodies got to do it."

X=X

They parked and made their way to Terminal 4's entryway into the lobby. Carina was aboard American flight 412 from Ronald Reagan. They had check the arrivals and saw that her plane had just landed. They would have no more than a thirty minute wait. Chuck sat down in a row of chairs and waited for passengers to start coming into the lobby area. Sarah sat down beside him. She thought about the conversation they had in the car talking about Ellie on the way over. She thought about their talking about maintaining their cover. Suddenly, she had the strong desire to maintain her cover right now. She looked over at him and when he returned her gaze, she leaned in towards him and with her left hand behind his head, pulled him into a long a noisy kiss.

They didn't even notice the mother who escorted her children to the next bay of chairs. When they finished, Chuck looked at her happy and surprised.

"What was that for?" he asked.

"Cover," Sarah said and smiled at him. "I think we'll have to work hard at maintaining our cover. What do you think?"

He smiled back his widest smile. "Absolutely," he said. "Practice makes perfect."

They began to work on the cover again.

Fifteen minutes later, Chuck began to notice a group of people coming from the terminal area and motioned to Sarah. She immediately got up and began to look for her friend.

After a while, Sarah noticed her. She still had her frizzy red hair, she wore no makeup and she walked around as though she didn't want anyone looking at her.

Sarah moved through the flow of traffic to intercept her and actually had to call out to her. Carina had looked right at her and didn't recognize her.

"Carina, it's me." Sarah smiled at her friend.

Carina looked at her up and down and a puzzled smile grew on her face. "Sarah, I didn't even recognize you." Her face turned into a pout. "I thought we were going to go to the beauty shop together?"

"We are...today as a matter of fact."

Carina smiled at that. "Great," she said. "You look great. Did you do that yourself?"

Sarah smiled and nodded.

"Carina, did you bring my laptop? I need it in the worst way," Sarah said.

"It's in my luggage."

"Great," Sarah said as she took Carina's arm and began to walk her towards Chuck. "Listen, I want to introduce you to someone. It may come as a shock to you but I'm staying with a guy out here."

Carina stopped short. "What? What do you mean staying with a guy?"

"A boyfriend," Sarah said and raised her eyebrows in an excited expression.

Carina's jaw swept the floor as she looked passed Sarah to see Chuck standing up watching them. "Get out," she said in amazement.

As Sarah started walking again, she began to talk. "Listen to me, Carina. Stand up straight. Walk like we use to do when we mimicked those models on the runway. You have to believe that you're beautiful before anyone else will believe it."

Carina tried to do as she was instructed. And in fact, she pulled it off pretty well. But the whole time she walked towards Chuck, she was extremely self conscious. But somehow she managed to stand in front of him without laughing at how silly she thought she looked.

"Chuck, this is my good friend, Carina Hanson. Carina, this is my boyfriend, Chuck Bartowski."

It's nice to meet you, Chuck. Although I must say I'm ashamed at how I look right now."

"Don't be silly. You look fine Carina." Chuck said.

"Chuck, I promised Carina that we would go to a beauty salon this afternoon. Do you think your sister could recommend one?" Sarah asked.

"She doesn't have to. I know the proprietor of the shop Ellie goes to. We play poker on Tuesday nights. I can call him up and get you both worked in today. That is if it's possible," Chuck said, pulling his phone from his pocket.

In a second he began to speak. "Yeah, Johnny this is Chuck. I have a huge favor to ask you."

The girls waited while whoever Chuck was talking with finished their end of the conversation.

"That's great. No, I have two girls that need to be pampered. One is my girlfriend and her best friend from Washington DC. That's great, Johnny. Thanks, we're on our way."

Chuck hung up the phone. "He said if we can get there in the next hour, he will take you both. He's had some cancellations due to the weather."

"Weather," both girls said, simultaneously while looking out at the clear blue sky.

Chuck just let his _I don't have a clue_ expression do the talking for him.

They began to walk in earnest as they went to get Carina's bags.

Within twenty minutes they were on the interstate going back towards Hollywood.

Chuck drove and listened to the excited chatter of Carina and Sarah who seemed more like school girls than international spies. Finally, Sarah broke his train of thought.

"So, Chuck. Is this beauty salon very exclusive?"

He looked at her and smiled. "Very. You don't know Ellie very well, but it's only the best for her. She only lets one man cut her hair."

"Do you think there's any chance that we could get him to cut our hair?" Sarah said.

"Absolutely. He's going to cut it for the both of you."

"Great," Sarah said as she smiled at Carina with raised eyebrows. "So...what's this guy's name?"

"He goes by the name of his business, Johnny Flamenco but his real name is John Casey."

**A/N: Er, sorry...I just couldn't help it.**


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Here is chapter seven. it is strange in some ways. I'm interested in hearing from the great people who have been so good to let me know what you've thought of the story so far.

Three Days of Project Omaha

Chapter 7

Chuck pulled around to the back of the swanky building on Rodeo Drive. He pulled into one of the three spots marked Employee Parking. As they came to the front of the brick building with archway doors, the palm trees lining both sides of the two roadways came into view. He led the two women to the front of the building and held the door open for them. Carina took one last look at the beautiful scene out front with an expression on her face that suggested she couldn't believe she was here.

The three walked in and Sarah felt her throat constrict as about a dozen women turned to look at the new arrivals into this posh and upscale venue. Much to Sarah's credit, she held herself straight and actually poked Carina in the ribs reminding her to keep her chin up.

They stopped at the front desk where a model thin young woman looked down here nose at the new arrivals.

"Can I help you," she asked, as though she couldn't believe that she could.

"Yeah, Johnny is expecting us," Chuck said ignoring her manner.

"Oh," she said, her attitude changed abruptly. "Please, sign in and have a seat, I'll let him know you're here, Mr...?"

"Bartowski."

Chuck signed in and the receptionist made the call and the three of them sat down to wait for Johnny Flamenco.

Carina and Sarah exchanged nervous smiles but did not say anything, not wanting the sound of their voices to draw the attention of the other patrons.

"Hey Chucky, a huge man in overly tight blue jeans and speaking with just a hint of a lisp came out of the office area at the opposite end of the building. "Come back to my office. We have a few minutes to wait before we're ready," Johnny Flamenco said with exaggerated body movements.

As the two women drew closer they saw that he wore an island print short sleeve shirt over the top of a skin tight spandex-like under shirt. His arms stretched the openings of the sleeves even in their relaxed state.

He was tall, taller than Chuck and Sarah noted that there was something incongruent about his physical appearance and his eyes. She wasn't sure why the thought even came into her mind but one look at him and you knew he was a homosexual, but when she looked at his eyes...she wasn't sure. It was an odd experience.

Sarah followed Johnny, Chuck and Carina inside his office, her mind not letting go of some small detail she had yet to pinpoint. She was extra observant as she closed the door behind her and turned to look at Chuck's friend.

She found him looking at her as well. So she smiled what she hoped would be an innocent girlish smile.

"You're friends aren't locals are they?" he asked.

"No, they're from DC," Chuck replied.

At that John sat down on his desk and shook his head. "You wouldn't believe what a day I've had. This has been one of the worst days I can remember."

"Aw, Come on John, how bad can it be? I saw that actress out there in the corner. No doubt she's here for the Johnny Flamenco special," Chuck said.

"Oh yeah, she's here for me. Guess what else I had to do besides cut her hair?"

Chuck looked at him incredulously. "You've got to be kidding me. She's had a boob job."

Johnny hung his head and began to nod. "Oh yeah, and she had to know if I thought they looked real."

At that Sarah began to laugh. Carina looked over at her friend. "Sarah, what's so funny," she asked.

Both men looked at Sarah now. In particular Johnny Flamenco looked at her with some real interest.

"Don't you get it. All of these gorgeous women come in here for Johnny to take care of them...and they even show him their boobs because they think he's gay."

"Okay, so what's the joke?" Carina said.

"The jokes on him because he's not gay. Am I right?" she looked at Johnny for conformation.

"It was bad enough when all I had to do was look at them but recently I have to feel of them to see if they feel real as well," he said ignoring Sarah.

The girls began to laugh at his predicament.

"Don't laugh you two. I think I'm gonna go blind in that bathroom over there."

That shut them up.

"You know I could take it when all I had to do was look. But now they want me to see if they feel real too." He stopped and looked at Chuck with a look of indignation. "You know what I had to do this morning?"

Chuck shook his head.

"There were five of them, all with new boob jobs and they had to have me rank them for looks and feel." Johnny stood and walked over to his window looking out at the spa area. "God must hate me," he said.

"Or love you," Chuck said and caught a snide look from Sarah.

Sarah frowned at the odd feeling. She had never experienced it before. She thought about what an weired sensation it was when her train of thought was interrupted.

"You can say that because your straight. But when I'm in this place, I'm Johnny Flamenco, flaming homosexual to the stars."

Just then, there was a knock on his door. "Johnny, you're spot is open," a pretty redhead stuck her head in and said.

"Thanks Joy," Johnny said with his lisp back. He was so used to moving in and out of his persona, he could do it without thinking.

Johnny looked at the two women. "Are you ready to experience the Flamenco?" he said with a straight face. The sexual overtones were unmistakable.

Carina looked at him wide-eyed but Sarah laughed. She had a better understanding of his sense of humor.

"Absolutely, but why don't you let Carina go first. It'll be her first time." Sarah said suggestively.

"Ooh, a Flamenco virgin. I'll be extra careful with you," he said to Carina.

Carina's eyes got bigger.

"Actually, I'll do the both of you at the same time," Johnny said as he walked towards the door.

"You can do that?" Sarah asked.

Johnny stopped and eyed her up and down with his best flaming persona. "It just depends on how much work is required to achieve orgasmic results." He raised his eyebrows at her and turned and led them out of his office. He was now completely in Johnny Flamenco mode.

Carina looked at Sarah as they followed him with a puzzled look. "We are getting our hair done...right?"

That caused Chuck and Sarah both to laugh and Johnny turned and looked at her as if she was out of her mind.

Carina meekly followed Sarah to their chairs and sat down in the one Johnny indicated for her.

When the two women were seated, Johnny ran his hands through Carina's hair and a look of distaste as if he had just eaten something unpleasant crossed his face.

"What have you been washing your hair with, Irish Spring?" he asked.

"Only when I run out of suave," Carina replied.

Johnny turned and looked at Chuck with an open expression. "I didn't realize just how much you thought of my work," he said with his Flamenco accent.

Chuck only shrugged with an apologetic smile.

"Okay, lets take a look at you," he said to Sarah as he unceremoniously pulled the wig from her head. He looked at her hair with the same expression. "Do all women from DC wash their hair in the sink?" he asked.

"It's a long story Johnny, just make us beautiful again," she said and caught Carina's eye. Her raised eyebrows and facial communication told Carina to play along.

Carina kept quiet. She felt like she had just fallen down the rabbit hole.

"Chuck, this will take longer than I thought. Why don't you do some shopping or something and come back in...no sooner than two hours. On second thought make it three. There's a lot of work here to do."

"Chuck, if you don't mind, could you buy some clothes for Carina and me? I'll pay you back."

"Uh, I don't think I'd be any good-"

"Nonsense, just buy anything you would like to see us in. We both wear size four."

"Dresses? Is that all?"

"Buy anything that appeals to you, we will be happy with it, I I trust your judgment."

Chuck looked to Carina for conformation and she barely shook her head.

"Okay, see you in three hours," he said and walked out the door. The last thing he heard before leaving was Johnny Flamenco's lisping voice. "Okay, girls. Johnny's gonna make you wet and then he'll get to work on you."

Chuck had a huge grin on his face as he left the building.

X=X

Chuck walked the three blocks down to Juicy Couture and went inside. After about an hour and a half of having the sales ladies showing him the "must haves" for the new season, he left and went into Dulce and Gabbana down in the next block and repeated that same process. Exactly three hours and seventeen minutes after leaving Johnny Flamenco's, he walked back in carrying as much clothing as he could and a much lighter wallet.

This time when he walked through the door, he received the same snotty eye from the receptionist. That is until she saw all of the clothing bags he carried and the name of the stores from which they were purchased.

"I just need to go back here," he said to the young woman in a very short dress as he struggled with all the bags.

"Go right ahead," she said and watched him as he walked passed with a much higher opinion of him.

When he went to where he left the three, he found that he was alone. Taking a deep breath, he made his way to his friend's office. He found Johnny, Sarah and Carina laughing to what must have been the latest anecdote from Johnny.

"Here you are...whoa," he said when he noticed both Sarah and Carina. "You guys look fantastic. I mean, Sarah...whoa."

She looked at Carina and then to Chuck. "So you approve?" she said standing. Carina stood as well and the two women turned in a circle to show off the new them.

"Johnny, you are the best," Chuck said as he watched both women.

"Well, it was a team effort," he said looking upon his work with pride.

"So, Chuck...do you have something in those bags for me?" Carina said. Chuck wasn't sure but he thought Carina was flirting with him just a little. It surprised him because up until now, she had been so shy.

"Yeah, I bought three outfits each. Two dresses and a...ah, I don't even know what you would call the third outfit." He handed the bags to the two women who scooped them up like children at Christmas.

Carina looked through the bags that she had and then suddenly stopped. She looked at Johnny.

"Do you mind if I change clothes here? I want to get out of these as soon as I can," she said looking down at the clothes she wore.

Johnny shook his head and was about to tell her she could use the bathroom in the corner when she surprised everyone, including Sarah, when she started unbuttoning the blouse she wore and pulled it off her shoulders. She had the baggy pants off within seconds too.

Carina stood in just her undergarments when she suddenly looked up at the three expressions of surprise that faced her.

"What?" she said.

"I don't believe you just did that," Sarah said. "You've always been more shy than I ever thought about being."

"I know. But something changed when I stood looking at myself in the mirror...the first time."

Sarah turned to Chuck. "She says the first time because they had to redo her makeup because she started crying when she looked at herself in the mirror." Sarah looked at Carina and smiled. "I thought Johnny was going to come unglued with his little gay performance."

"Only the gay part was a performance," Johnny said, seriously.

"I cried because I saw for the first time in my life, that I really am an attractive woman. I've never seen that before. That's why I want to wear these clothes when I leave here. I don't want to ever be looked down upon again."

Chuck thought that was an odd thing to say coming from a government agent. But he never got to dwell on this thought because his train of thought was interrupted.

"Chuck, you did buy her some underwear too, didn't you?" Johnny said, hopefully.

Everyone began to laugh at Johnny's joke. Even Carina, but her expression turned serious. "Now that you mention it, I don't want to walk out of here with anything that I walked in with." She looked through her bags and found one of the sets of bra and panties and began to open them. When she held both in her hand, to everyone's complete shock, she pulled off her bra and replaced it with the new one. She repeated the same process with her panties.

"What?" she said to the now stupefied expressions she greeted.

"Carina," Sarah said. "We just saw you naked. You just stripped down in front of my boyfriend and Johnny Flamenco, who you know is straight."

"I didn't mind," both men said in unison.

Sarah hit Chuck on the arm and gave him that look.

Carina began to step into the short maroon dress that she decided to wear. "I have nothing to be ashamed of." She looked up at Chuck and then to Johnny. "Do I?"

Sarah had to laugh at the buffoon like sounds that came out of the men in the room. It just reinforced in her mind that a woman's body was, most likely, the most powerful weapon yet devised when used by the right woman. She looked at Carina, who was putting on her shoes now. Sarah had to admit, she was beautiful in a Victoria Secret kind of way.

When Carina was finished she stood and looked at everyone. "Well," she said, her arms held out at the elbow.

"Gentlemen," Sarah said with a wry smile on her face. "We have created a monster."

Chuck gave Johnny a look that said he couldn't agree more. "Okay then, are we ready to get out of here?"

"You bet, Sarah said and grabbed a couple of the bags that Chuck had brought. Carina did the same and Chuck carried the couple that was left. As they walked through the salon, both women put on a show. Even the wealth-jaded women who patronized Johnny Flamenco's, looked at Sarah and Carina as they flaunted themselves without seeming to.

Just as Chuck reached the door, Johnny called out to him. "Chuck, got a second."

Chuck looked back at his friend. "Sure," he said and then looked at Sarah. "I'll be right back." He walked back to where Johnny stood.

"Yeah, what do you want?"

"Don't ask me any questions about this, but take this card." He handed Chuck a business card.

"I don't need your card. I know your number."

"Take the card you moron. I said not to ask any questions." Johnny looked at Chuck the way he sometimes did when he thought Chuck was being lame.

Chuck silently took the card and looked at it. He noticed there was a hand written phone number on the back.

"What's this?" Chuck said.

"What did I just tell you?"

"So what do you want me to do with it, you gotta tell me more than this?"

Johnny looked like he was ready to deck his buddy. "Just give the card to Walker. She'll know what to do with it if she ever needs it."

"What? Are you coming on to my girl."

Johnny pursed his lips in such a way that his tongue actually pushed his lips out as he sucked on his teeth. Chuck recognized that Johnny was near his breaking point. He didn't know why it was, but he always seemed to have that affect on the big guy.

"Tell her I used to be in Military Intelligence. I may still have some contacts that might help her."

Finally, Chuck understood. He was shocked that his buddy somehow figured out that Sarah was in some kind of trouble, but he took the card and after looking at Johnny seriously for a moment turned and walked back to the women who were now waiting impatiently for him.

"Ready?" he asked.

They both indicated they were.

Chuck opened the door for them and they stepped out onto Rodeo Drive. There was a soft breeze blowing the palm trees lining both roads and in the island between them. The temperature was in the mid seventies.

"Where to now?" Chuck asked.

"Can we stay at your house? I mean can Carina stay with us?" Sarah amended her question after seeing her boyfriend's expression. She needed to get used to the idea of having a boyfriend.

"Absolutely, I'd have it no other way," he said.

"Great," Carina said. "I have a million questions for you Sarah." Carina caught Sarah's eyes after her statement and she could tell Sarah understood exactly what she was referring to.

It was now 6:00p.m. on the second day and Sarah felt as though she had accomplished nothing. She realized that she and Carina needed this makeover so that they were even less likely to be recognized. What she needed to do now was contact her supervisor and explain what had happened to Amanda.

The second thing she needed to do was have a conversation with Carina about sex. She knew tonight that Carina would have a million questions and all of them would be rather personal. She didn't care about that. She shared everything with Carina.

Sarah frowned at that thought. There was something about it she didn't like.

Sarah thought back to Carina disrobing in Johnny's office. It was so unlike the friend that she knew so well. Suddenly, she had a disturbing thought as she turned to look at the now beautiful woman sitting beside her. She wondered how long it would take Carina to sleep with a man. She didn't think it would be that long.

_I just hope it's a decent guy_, she thought.

Then she had that disturbing thought again.

_Chuck"s a decent guy_, she thought.


	8. Chapter 8

Three Days of Project Omaha

Chapter 8

Chuck drove Carina and Sarah back to his house. He left the Lexus in the driveway and the three went through the front door.

"Wow, this is really nice, Chuck," Carina said as she walked into the huge foyer. The slate black floor picking up the sound of both women as they walked in, their high heel shoes sounding like a percussion section in a salsa band.

"I'll bet you're popular with the ladies," Carina said and then shot an apologetic look at Sarah.

"Huh, yeah," he said, looking at Sarah with a questioning look. "Is anyone else hungry. I'm starving," Chuck said as he picked up the phone.

Both women whole heartily agreed.

"Pizza okay?" he said.

"Sure," they said in unison.

Chuck made the order and went to the kitchen and grabbed three beers out of the fridge. The two women came into the kitchen and sat at the bar while they waited on the pizza.

Carina sat on one side of the bar and watched Chuck and Sarah who were on the other side.

She watched them as they smiled at one another and touched each others hands. Had Sarah been watching Carina, she might have picked up on the look of puzzlement that crossed her friend's features. Only Sarah would have known Carina well enough to interpret her expression as one of surprise as she just realized something important.

That expression was fleeting as Carina smiled at her best friend. "So, Chuck...are there any other Bartowski boys like you running around."

Chuck looked at Carina and smiled understanding exactly what she was asking. "No, it's just my sister and I," he said as his gaze was drawn back to Sarah almost as if he didn't have the power to resist.

"Pity," Carina said,now beginning to become bored by the dove eyes Sarah used on Chuck. "You have a fantastic home, what is it you do?" she asked, trying get his attention.

He pulled himself away from Sarah's smiles and looked at Carina. "Uh, my family owns the Buy More Corporation. I run operations for them."

"Oh,"she said, her eyebrows raised at this information. _Sarah has hooked a big fish_, she thought. She looked at Sarah again and realized something she had never known about herself until just this very minute. _I really don't want a guy for the rest of my life like she does. That would get so boring. _

Se had to admit that she wouldn't mind a guy for the next hour or two. "How about a friend ? You have a friend you could hook me up with? I feel like a third wheel here."

Chuck answered before thinking. "Yeah, sure. I've got a couple of friends. I just need to think about which one you might like the best."

"Don't waste too much time on that, just make the call. I'm not feeling particularly choosy at the moment." Carina shot a look to Sarah that said exactly what she was talking about. Sarah had recently left the virgin ranks and Carina was determined to follow her down that path. Besides, Carina was not so sure she ever wanted someone to fall in love with. It was a shock for her to realize it, after all of the romantic movies that she and Sarah had watched. But seeing Sarah making eyes at Chuck, she understood that that was not really what she wanted. She would be much happier with variety.

Chuck called five of his buddies. He left a message for three of them, one of them was already on a date and the last guy was out of town on a business trip.

"Maybe tomorrow I can talk with one of them," he said sheepishly to Carina.

Carina's sigh was clearly conceived in sexual frustration as her shoulders slumped. and her expression told the story of her inner emotions.

For Carina the night was long and fraught with so many silent clues coming from Chuck and Sarah. Clues about what the coming night would bring. It just heightened Carina's sense of isolation. The only respite she had was after they had eaten, Chuck showed her where her room was for the night. She then took her time gathering her belongings and unpacking.

At about 11:00 pm., Carina faked being tired and downed the last of her beer.

"I'm going to bed, guys. Sarah, if you don't mind come and see me before you go to sleep, okay?"

"Sure," Sarah said, understanding that Carina had not had a chance to really talk about Chuck. Sarah smiled at her friend as she thought about all the questions that Carina would ask.

"Goodnight you two, try not to be too loud tonight. I'd hate to be awakened by the sound of passionate lovemaking." Carina looked from Chuck to Sarah. "Seriously, I'd really hate that."

Sarah laughed. "I promise you, we won't."

Chuck looked at Sarah and frowned which prompted Carina to ask another question.

"You won't what... make love?"

Sarah smiled coyly at her friend. "No, I promise we won't wake you up."

The two girls exchanged knowing glances. "Come see me before the fireworks begin," Carina said, making doubly sure that Sarah received that message loud and clear.

"I will, I promise," Sarah said and watched as her friend swayed down the hallway with enough sex appeal to capture Hugh Hefner's attention on his birthday.

Carina closed the door to her bedroom and changed into her negligee. She went to stare at herself in the full length mirror over by the large dressing table. She had to admit that she looked good in black. _Hell I look good in any color now_, she thought. As she looked at herself, it really sank into her mind that she wasn't just good looking she was beautiful. And not just beautiful...she was hot. She had that something extra that drove men crazy.

_If only I had one here right now to drive crazy_, she thought. _I swear if I did, I would drive him absolutely, certifiably, padded walls, out of his mind._ As it were, she took a deep breath to calm her racing hormones. All she could do was wait. She went over to the bed and practically threw herself on top of it. She grabbed the People magazine that was lying on the bedside table and began to thumb through it in the most uninterested fashion.

When she rifled through the pages from front to back, she threw the useless media back on the nightstand. Just at that very moment, she heard Sarah laugh from the kitchen. For a brief moment, Carina was filled with jealousy, not because Sarah had found a guy that she had fallen for, but that she had a man...period.

Another giggle from Sarah drove Carina to cover her head with her pillow. She stayed like that just listening to make sure she couldn't hear anything. Just when she started to relax, she heard Sarah husky voice call out.

"Chuck, not now...later."

Carina slammed the pillow on the bed and jumped out of it in angry motions that carried her to the door of her bedroom. She opened it and called out.

"Sarah, do you have a minute?"Carina waited for a response. She knew that Sarah knew that she was upset.

"Sure, Rina, I'll be right there."

More time passed before Sarah showed up at her door and Carina knew that Sarah must have told Chuck to go on to bed and that she would join him later. In the meantime, Carina found herself sitting on her bed in a huff.

Sarah came to Carina's bedroom sheepishly. "Hey, Rina. Is everything okay?"

Carina pursed her lips and then started to pout blatantly. "No, everything is not okay and I'm sorry to be such a bitch about it. Could you stay here and talk for a while?"

By now, Sarah was sitting on the side of the bed. She smiled at her friend. "Of course I can stay a while. What's wrong?"

"Now it was Carina's turn to look sheepish. I guess I'm a little jealous."

Sarah put her hand on her friend's arm. "Rina, you have no reason to be jealous me."

Carina looked at Sarah quickly. I'm not jealous of you...I'm Jealous of Chuck. He's occupying all the time of my best friend," Carina said through misty eyes. "I just feel like we've had no time to talk. And, we have so much to talk about."

Sarah pursed her lips as she watched her friend open up to her. She then repositioned herself so that she was laying side by side with the leggy red-head. "What is it you want to talk about?" Sarah said as if she didn't know and then shot Carina a coy smile.

Carina showed an amused smile before looking away from her friend. "You know what I want to talk about. You know if your boyfriend had come though for me earlier with one his friends I wouldn't be talking to you about it right now I'd be doing it?"

"Carina," Sarah said looking at her friend seriously. "What do you want to know?"

The two women had been laying down on the bed facing each other with their heads propped up on their hands but Carina sat up before she began to speak. "You know what I want to know...how was it? What is it like?"

Sarah sat up so she could look at Carina. "It was great. Not exactly what I thought it would be, but it was great. At first, I wasn't sure that I was going to enjoy it. I even thought, _so this is what all the fuss is about? _But after about twenty seconds, it was like somebody turned a switch and I was like, _God don't stop doing that."_

_ "_How did you know what to do?"

"Oh, that's the easy part." Sarah smiled at Carina with a goofy grin on her face. "You just know."

"So it was everything you imagined?"

"At the end...yes. At first I thought it would be magical the second we started, you know," she said, looking embarrassed. "Actually started, but it took a little while for the magic to begin."

"What are you saying?"

"Carina, it was great. It just wasn't like I had imagined it, but it was great."

What was the most surprising thing about it?"

"Well, for me, the most surprising thing wasn't so much how great it felt to be together. I expected that. What I didn't expect was how great it was to feel his body touching mine, from my feet to my face, it felt amazing. But I gotta tell you, I don't think it would have been as good or at least I don't think I would feel the same way about it as I do right now if I'd just picked some random guy out of a bar to have sex with."

Carina smiled at her friend. "You really like him don't you?"

"Yeah, he's a great guy."

Carina looked down and her expression turned pensive. "You know, Sar, I don't think I'm looking for the same things you are. I would have never thought I would say this a few weeks ago, but I'm not looking for a relationship with one guy that I can love and settle down with. I think I would find that boring."

"Carina, you're just overwhelmed by everything that's happened to you the past twenty four hours. When the right guy comes along, you'll change your mind."

"And if I don't?"

"Then you don't. But you'll always be my best friend. No matter what."

The two women hugged each other and while they were till in the embrace,they were startled by a knock on the door.

"Sarah," Chuck said through the closed door.

"Yes," she said with wide eyes as she looked at Carina.

"Are you coming to bed soon?"

"Sarah's expression melted into a happy smile as she looked at her friend. "Give me a second, I 'll be right in."

Sarah's expression turned serious as she intently looked at her friend. "Are you going to be okay tonight?

"Yeah, go take care of your man. I'll be fine. I guarantee one thing. Tomorrow night I'm not going to be sleeping alone."

Sarah hugged her friend one last time, jumped out of bed and walked to the door. Just before she opened it, she hesitated and then turned back to Carina. "Promise me one thing, let Chuck see if he can get a hold of one of his friends. I don't want you going to a bar by yourself...okay?"

"Sure, but if he doesn't come through then I'm going out."

Sarah nodded and opened the door and left.

Carina listened to the sound of her footsteps as she walked down the hall towards Chuck's bedroom. She sat listening not even wanting to breath so that even that slight sound would not interfere with what was going on at the end of the hall.

She smiled and took a deep breath once she heard Sarah giggle. She was happy for her friend. She had found what she had been looking for.

The last thought she had before finally drifting off to sleep. _If I don't want a relationship like Sarah has...what do I want? _


End file.
